Caught In The Crowd
by MissToastie
Summary: Set in high school, Charlie and Joey are enemies, will they ever sort things out? - COMPLETE -
1. Chapter 1

**Howdy Doody =D.**

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**This chapter is basically just an introduction in the form of a one-off diary entry from Joey, so it can explain some of the changes I've made with the characters (Other changes are mentioned in other chapters) **

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**Pleased to be reviewing, kthanks *grins***

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**Chapter two will be up within twenty four hours =)**

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**This whole story is dedicated to purplemonkeyys, 'cause she's simply the best & has helped me with story ideas and helped kick my inspiration back on track =)**

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**Oh, and special Thanks to IJKS, cause I sort of 'stole' the idea of having past characters in this story from her amazing story 'Forbidden' - Hope you don't mind IJKS!**

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**Toastie. x**

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**Chapter One**

Dear Diary,

My name is Joey Collins, I'm almost Eighteen years old, and I live in a small town called Summer Bay. I attend Summer Bay High School and every single school day is like hell for me, actually, I think hell might be better than Summer Bay High. What can I say? I'm not exactly the most popular student; actually, I'm the least popular, along with my best friend Aden Jefferies. My parents are the cause of me being un-popular; eight years ago my father Link Collins held the old local restaurant, Bayside Diner, hostage. He killed several people, including two of the town's most notable personnel's, Ailsa Stewart and Floss McPhee. My father was charged with several counts of murder and was sentenced 25 years in prison. A week after my father was sentenced, my mother, Deidre, started to heavily drink and it didn't take long for drugs to get involved. After ten months of suffering brutal beatings and being treated like I was a piece of shit, my mother finally had that "one drink or one drug too many" that I had constantly nagged her about and I found her lying on our kitchen floor, dead. Ever since then I've lived with my guardian Irene Roberts, who is by far one of the most amazing lovable people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Also living with me is my best friend, Aden. He suffered a lot from the hands of his grandfather and his father whilst he was growing up. I have a cat named Jinkers and I feel very sorry for her as she has to put up with all my depressing shit, but I'm pretty sure she loves me anyway.

Tomorrow is the start of term two at school, three more terms left and Aden and myself will be as free as birds. We plan to leave this stupid town and live out at sea. We have weekend jobs on a Trawler called 'Tatum's End' and the crew are just lovely, they really make us feel welcomed. So yes, tomorrow I'm back to school and I truly am dreading going back. I get constantly bullied by Trey Palmer and his pathetic friends. And then there's this group of four girls, the sweetest Leah Poulos, she really is a lovely girl, but she's too much of a wimp to stand up to the other girls. Hayley Smith, she thinks she's top shit, but she really isn't. She's horrible, but no where near as horrible as my number one enemy, Belle Taylor. Belle and I have never gotten along, even when we were kids, we hated each other. Unfortunately in this small town, I can't escape her. Therefore she makes my life a living hell.

And then there's Charlie Buckton, one of the most horrible, pathetic, spoilt little brats I have ever met. She's the type of girl who only has to bat an eyelash to receive her Daddy's credit card, thus meaning she gets what she wants, when she wants. She doesn't know the meaning of 'working for money', to her, money grows on trees and all she has to do is shake the damn tree for thousands of dollars to fall into her back pocket, usually in the form of the seasons hottest trends, a mobile phone or some useless handbag and really, she has too many shoes. I don't even think a shoe shop stocks as many shoes as Charlie Buckton owns. I truly can not stand her; she makes my life a nightmare. I can't believe I used to be really good friends with her when we were younger and at one stage, I had a *crush* on her. Okay, so she is really good looking, her eyes are beautiful, her legs are amazingly long and her smile is gorgeous, it's just a shame she now has the personality that she does, because with that, I won't touch her with a 50 foot barge pole. She used to be one of the sweetest kids, but ever since her mother passed away and the time her father caught us making out when we were 12, she's just turned into this monster.

I best get some sleep, Ade and I are going for our morning run at 6:30, I hope I can beat him home in the morning. I want to have first shower, damn it!

Joey xx


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the reviews ^_^.**

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**Seems IJKS asked nicely, I shall post this up now instead of in 24 hours time. **

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**Enjoy =)**

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**Toastie x.**

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**Chapter Two :**

"Hurry up pretty boy!" Joey shouted as she banged on the bathroom door, it was 7:45 in the morning and today was the beginning of term two at school. "I need to shower and get ready; I'm not being late to school because of you!"

Aden stood in front of the bathroom mirror grinning and laughing at his over dramatic best friend yelling at him, that's the only thing he missed about school days, the morning routine where he and Joey would go for a jog along the beach before racing each other back to the house and every single time he would beat Joey back home, meaning he got first shower, and that usually lead to a snappy 17 year old hurrying him out of the bathroom in fear she won't be ready in time.

"Hold your horses Jo" Aden yelled back as he fixed his school tie. "Maybe if you didn't spend a kazillion years in the shower, you wouldn't need to worry about being late in the mornings"

Joey rolled her eyes and leaned back on her bedroom door, placing her right leg behind her and up against it; she folded her arms and glared at the closed door in front of her.

"What's gotten into you girlie?" Irene asked as she walked down stairs and into the kitchen. "Let me guess, Aden's taking his time in the bathroom?"

"Yes" Joey grumbled and sighed. "Aden, hurry up!" Joey yelled once again. "It's nearing eight o'clock! I want to stop by Ailsa's to get a milkshake on the way!"

"Won't be long" Aden happily called out. "It takes time for me to look as good as I do, you know"

"Well I think you need to take more time so you actually look half alright" Joey joked.

"I don't mind if I do" Aden replied calmly. "Give me another 20 minutes" Aden called out, trying to stop himself from laughing; he knew full well what was coming next.

"ADEN MICHAEL JEFFERIES, GET OUT OF THE BLOODY BATHROOM! I NEED TO SHOWER AND MOST OF ALL I NEED THE DAMN TOILET!" Joey yelled, pushing herself off her bedroom door and once again banging on the bathroom door.

"Oh for goodness sakes" Irene placed her newly poured coffee on the table and walked over to the bathroom door. "Aden would you please get out of the bathroom so Joey can have her shower?" Irene took a step back as she heard the bathroom door unlock and open, Aden walked out with a huge grin on his face.

"You see that Jo, a 'please' goes a long way!" Aden winked at his angry best friend.

"Thank you Irene" Joey said to Irene who shook her head and walked back to get her coffee. "Move out the way boof head" Joey said as she nudged past Aden, slamming the bathroom door behind her.

"Ah I've missed these mornings" Aden grinned and rubbed his hands together.

Irene rolled her eyes and carefully sipped her hot coffee. Truth be told, she had missed these mornings too, ever since Aden had moved in to the house 4 years ago, the morning bickering between the two teenagers had been apart of the normal school day routine. Although, sometimes she did miss waking up on school holidays with the house either being quiet as the two teens had their sleep ins or filled with laughter and loud noise coming from the TV. Either way, Irene's household was the most loving and entertaining house in all of Summer Bay.

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Charlie Buckton, the most popular teenage girl in Summer Bay, rolled over and hit her alarm clock. She opened her eyes and then closed them, running the palm of hands over them; she then re-opened her beautiful blue eyes and stretched.

"Way too early" Charlie mumbled as she reached over to her bedside table to grab her mobile phone, grinning when she saw she had received two text messages during the night. One being from her older sister Kathleen wishing her good luck for school and the other from her best friend Leah, informing Charlie that it was 7:00 in the morning and that she should get her lazy arse out of bed and come down to the beach with her. Charlie rolled her eyes and replied to Leah.

**'Who gets up that early in the morning on school days? Would this have to do with a certain sexy life guard? C u school xxx' **

Charlie grinned, knowing very well that the reason why Leah was up at silly am was to see her new boyfriend Vinnie Patterson, the life guard who had moved to the town six months ago. Charlie placed her phone on her bed and made her way into the bathroom to get ready for her first day back at school.

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"Hello Mrs Smart, can I please have two large banana milkshakes to go?" Joey nervously asked as she stood at the counter of Ailsa's. She always felt uncomfortable being around certain people in Summer Bay after what her father had done all those years ago, and Colleen Smart was one of them. Unfortunately, she was someone that was very hard to avoid in such a small town, considering she co-owned one of the best diner's to hang out.

"Sure thing pet" Colleen said, forcing a smile on her face. Every time she saw Joey Collins she was instantly remembered of the tragic loss the town suffered at the hands of her father, Link. But she also had to remember what her brother Alf had told her, that it wasn't in Joey's fault and if he didn't hold a grudge against the young girl, then she shouldn't either.

"Strewth has school gone back again?" Alf asked Joey and Aden as he walked out from the kitchen of his co-owned business.

"Unfortunately so Mr Stewart" Joey frowned.

"The holidays go way too fast for our liking" Aden spoke as he folded his arms over his chest. "Thanks once again for setting us up with Malcolm and Josh" Aden said smiling at the older man in front of him.

"Yeah thanks' a lot Mr Stewart, Mal and Josh are great bosses. Ade and I are grateful for you putting a good word in for us" Joey smiled at Alf.

"Not a problem! When young Josh came to me asking if I knew anyone perfect for the job, you two popped into my head" Alf grinned as he stepped out from behind the counter. "From what I hear you two do a bloody good job, keep it up and you'll have full time jobs out at sea before you know it!"

Aden and Joey grinned at one another and paid Colleen for their milkshakes and made their way to school.

---

Charlie entered the Summer Bay High main building and set off in the direction of her lockers, looking for her closest friends, even though she had spent practically every single day with the three of them. Spotting her friends standing in their usual spots near their lockers, Charlie grinned and walked over to them.

"Morning guys!"

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Hayley asked as she hugged Charlie.

"She slept in!" Leah grumbled.

"Of course I slept in! There was no way in the world I was going to get up out of bed and come down to the beach just so you could perve on your boyfriend!" Charlie rolled her eyes at her best friend and stepped forward to hug Belle.

"How are things with you and Vinnie?" Hayley asked, smiling as she felt the arms of her boyfriend of 4 years snake their way around her waist.

"Really good! I think I'm in love" Leah blushed and giggled.

Hayley and Belle made Leah's face grow redder by letting out very long 'Awwwws'. Charlie rolled her eyes and placed her school books in her locker. Although she was happy for her friend, she couldn't stop the little green monster that kept showing its head every time Leah mentioned her boyfriend.

"That's great to hear Leah. Vins a really awesome guy" Noah smiled at his girlfriends close friend.

"Ergh, one bad thing about being back at school" Belle said nodding her head toward the two students that had just entered the school building.

Charlie turned her head and scrunched her face when she realised who Belle was talking about.

"You know she could be pretty if she tried" Hayley said looking sadly at the girl who was placing her books in her locker.

"I find that really hard to believe Haylz." Belle began "Joey Collins couldn't be pretty if she tried" She spoke loudly to make sure that Joey heard.

"I see the bitch squad hasn't changed their boring ways" Joey said as she slammed her locker shut. "What are you going to say next Taylor? Surely it would be something about how I have no friends or my parents were psycho's and that's exactly what I'm going to turn out like" Joey asked as she stood in front of Belle.

Aden gritted his teeth and moved to stand behind Joey to show support, even though if it got out of hand he wouldn't get involved unless it got really messy as they were all girls, and Aden knew it was wrong to fight with girls. He looked over at Noah who had just got his arms pushed off his girlfriend's waist and smiled sympathetically at him. He knew Noah was a good guy and was sure they would get along well if Hayley and Joey let them hang out together, but Hayley had made it clear to Noah that he was to stay away from Aden.

"I only speak the truth Collins. If they're starting to get boring, then I am ever so sorry" Belle spoke sarcastically. "But I'm sure in true Joey Collins fashion you will do something incredibly stupid this term that will haunt you for a while" Belle grinned.

"You really are pathetic, you know that don't you?" Joey asked raising her voice. She kept her eyes focussed on Belle, even though she knew that Charlie, Leah and Hayley had now made the presence felt by stepping forward and almost circling Joey.

"Well, darling, I'd be nowhere near as pathetic as you" Belle smirked.

Joey stepped forward and pushed Belle back into the lockers, Leah made sure she was okay whilst Charlie and Hayley pushed Joey into the lockers behind her. Noah quickly pulled Hayley back.

"It's not worth getting kicked out of school for babe" Noah said as he placed his arms around his girlfriend to calm her down.

"Fuck of Charlie" Joey hissed at Charlie who had her pinned against the lockers.

"Make sure you stay away from Belle, otherwise I'll make your life a living hell" Charlie hissed back at Joey.

"Because you don't already do that" Joey whispered, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"What on earth is going on here?" The school Principal Mr Bartlett asked as he walked over to the group of students all standing around.

Charlie quickly pulled herself away from the locker and moved back to stand with her friends.

Joey breathed out and wiped her eyes with her arm. Aden put his arm over her shoulder to show comfort.

"Ah I should have known it would be you lot." Bartlett said as he looked between the group of 7 students. "This is really getting old. You're all seniors for goodness sake, act your bloody age not your shoe size!"

The five girls looked between one another and were thankful when they heard the school bell ring.

"Right that's it, everyone get to class" Mr Bartlett said as students around him quickly began to disappear.

The girls took one long last look at one another, grabbed their History books and headed off to class with Aden and Noah following behind them.

Mr Bartlett shook his head, instantly feeling sorry for Sally Fletcher for having all five of the girls in her class.

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Aden and Joey took their seats at the back of the classroom whilst Charlie, Leah, Belle, Hayley and Noah took up most of the 2nd row. Once all the class was seated. Sally stood up on leaned against her desk.

"So how was everybody's holidays?" Sally asked and in return received several 'good' and 'excellent' the odd 'shit' and 'crap' were heard as well.

"They aren't bloody long enough if you ask me" Kane Philips called out from the back of the room. Over the holidays he had got his first job at the gym with his best mate Hugo and spent majority of his spare time with his heavily pregnant girlfriend Kirsty Sutherland who had finished school last year as there wasn't any point doing year twelve for four months before their baby was born.

Sally smiled as a few people agreed with Kane, even though she loved teaching, she had truly enjoyed spending the holidays with her husband Flynn and their two young children, Pippa and Holly.

"Okay everyone." Sally said standing up and walking behind her desk, grabbing her notes from her folder and quickly glancing over them. "To start the term, I've decided on a fun group assignment for you all to do"

Almost everybody in the class groaned.

"What exactly is fun about doing an assignment?" Noah mumbled.

"Well, for this assignment, it will be fun because you will be doing it with one other person" Sally smiled at Noah. "And before you all quickly make partners with your friends, I will have you know that I've already placed you all in pairs"

"What?!" Sally heard several of the students yell.

"The assignment will be on a topic of your choice from the Early Middle Ages or as some of you may know it, Dark Ages." Sally handed out a piece of paper to each member of her class that detailed all the information of the assignment and what was expected of them.

"A 5,000 word essay AND an oral speech!" Belle read out. "Miss Fletcher you can't be serious!"

"I'm very serious Belle. If you put your best work into it, you will find this to be a very exciting assignment" Sally smiled as she returned her way back to her desk.

"So who are we partnered with?" Hugo asked.

"Ah" Sally smiled and grabbed a piece of paper up from her desk and began to read out names.

"Aden and Noah" Sally called out the 6th pairing on her list.

"Excuse me Miss Fletcher but I don't think that's a suitable pairing" Hayley piped up, she didn't want her popular boyfriend doing an assignment with a low life like Aden Jefferies.

"Aden and Noah, do either of you two have a problem with it?" Sally asked looking up from her paper, both boys shook their heads. "Well that's settled then"

"I can't believe you didn't say you had a problem with it!" Hayley whispered harshly at Noah.

"That's because I don't have a problem with it Haylz, you do!" Noah whispered back.

Hayley crossed her arms on turned her attention away from Noah, shrugging his arm off of her shoulder when he placed it there.

"Leah and Rachel" Sally read out.

"Who's Rachel?" Leah asked.

"Me" A little voice from Rachel Armstrong came out. She was the new girl in school and had usually kept to herself as she wanted to work extra hard on passing her final exams this year in order to get good grades and hopefully go to medical school.

Leah looked behind her and smiled at Rachel. "I guess we're partners then".

"Yeah, I guess so" Rachel smiled back at Leah.

Sally waited for the two girls to be finished before she called out the final group of names. "Kane and Hayley, Hugo and Belle, Trey and Mitch and Charlie and Joey"

"WHAT?!" Charlie and Joey yelled out.

"I'm sorry Miss Fletcher but there is no way I am working with Joey Collins! She's a dero!" Charlie spoke loudly.

"And there is no way I am working with that little ungrateful bitch!" Joey hissed, glaring at Charlie.

"Fuck you Collins, you're the worthless piece of shit" Charlie turned around and yelled back at Joey.

"Alright that is enough! Stop swearing otherwise you will both find yourselves on after school detention for the next week. Now you are both working together, so I suggest you suck it up and try and get over this pathetic little feud that is going on between the two of you otherwise it will be your grades that will be affected. Do you both understand?" Sally said as she looked between the two girls.

Charlie and Joey looked between one another.

"Girls, do you understand?" Sally repeated her question.

"Yes" Joey mumbled.

"Good and Charlie?" Sally asked looking at Charlie.

Charlie looked at Hayley and Belle who were practically screaming for Charlie to make a stand. She thought back to what Miss Fletcher had said about her grades and how they would be affected and she knew she couldn't have that, she ever so desperately wanted to get into the police academy to make her family proud of her. She looked away from her friends and up at Miss Fletched, she swallowed hard.

"Yes, I understand"


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews, very much appreciated.**

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**Credit to my friend Fi who helped me with the poem discussion in this chapter.**

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**Toastie x.**

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**Chapter Three :**

With History class now over, the students packed their belongings and walked out into the school hallway, heading off to their next class.

"I can't believe you said yes to working with Joey Collins!" Belle said shaking her head with disgust at Charlie.

"I didn't have a choice Belle!" Charlie said placing her History book in her locker and grabbing the books for her next class. She really didn't have a choice, Joey was who Miss Fletcher had partnered her with and so be it. She had to get good grades and study well over the next few months, Charlie would never forgive herself if she didn't make it into the Police Academy; being a police officer was in the Buckton blood. Her father Ross Buckton is a highly respected Detective, her older sister Kathleen recently got promoted to Sergeant and is stationed in Sydney and her slightly older brother Ben would be finished with the academy at the end of the year. There was no other option than to follow in her families foot steps.

"You always have a bloody choice Charlz!" Belle turned to Charlie who was about to speak. "No, don't give me that crap about you having to do this to become a police officer; I don't know why you try so damn hard to impress your family!"

"That's because you don't have a real family that you need to impress!" Leah piped up, instantly regretting what she had said. "I'm sorry Belle"

"Get stuffed Leah." Belle said glaring at her friend before walking away from her friends.

"Don't worry about it" Charlie said smiling at Leah and hugging her. "C'mon, English is calling our names" Charlie pulled Leah's hand as she groaned; English really wasn't Leah's favourite lesson.

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Joey angrily opened her locker; she threw her history book inside and searched around for her English book.

"Where the heck is it?!" Joey almost yelled.

Aden watched on as his best friend got angrier and angrier by the second.

"Jo?"

"What Ade?" Joey snapped at Aden.

Aden reached into Joey's locker and grabbed the English book that Joey had been trying to find and handed it to her.

"Thank you" Joey said as she took the book and then slammed her locker shut. "I really can't believe that Miss Fletcher has paired me up with Charlie Buckton!! She knows how much we hate each other!! Is she trying to make our lives difficult?! How the hell am I going to be able to work with her?! We should have been paired together like we normally are, I mean we actually like each other, we get along and what makes things even more convenient is that we bloody well live together!!" Joey said angrily whilst she and Aden walked down the hall and up the stairs on the way to their English classrooms.

"Maybe she's trying to fix the problem between the two of you and make you and Charlie friends again, like you used to be when you were kids" Aden smiled at Joey as they stopped outside of her English classroom.

"Charlie Buckton and I will never ever be friends again" Joey simply said before walking into her classroom, she was the last student to arrive and there was only one available seat left. Joey sighed and walked over to the girl sitting next to the empty seat.

"Can I sit here?" Joey asked.

"Looks like you have no other choice than to sit there does it dimwit" Belle hissed at Joey.

Joey clenched her jaw and took a seat, opening her English book and looking up at the board.

"Alright, does anybody remember where we were up to last term?" Miles Copeland asked his class.

"Some poem"

"Right, thanks Richard, don't suppose you happen to remember the name of the poem?" Miles asked the blonde haired boy who was slouched in his chair in the corner of the classroom.

"Nup wouldn't have a clue hey" Richard shrugged.

"Wasn't it 'The Ecchoing Green'?" Belle asked.

"That'd be the one!" Miles clapped his hands and then grabbed the open book off of his desk and sat on the corner, facing the class. "Can I just get everyone to re-read 'The Ecchoing Green' by William Blake to refresh your minds, knowing you lot you would have forgotten about the poem 5 minutes after you first read it" Miles said with a cheeky laugh and watched as his students flicked to the poem in their books and quietly sat reading. Once all students were finished, Miles continued on with the lesson.

"So, what sort of themes do you see in the poem?" Miles asked his students.

"Birds!" Chelsea stated.

"Birds? What do you mean?" Miles asked Chelsea.

"Well its spring time, the sky-lark and the thrush and then it says the birds of the bush. They're singing" Chelsea smiled, feeling rather smart to come up with that.

"Okay, birds singing. Anyone else?"

"I think the poem is about life and the beauty of life. When he writes" Hugo looks down at his book "Such such were the joys, when we were all girls and boys" Hugo looks up from his book. "It's like he knows the fun that kids have and the innocence they get up to"

"Right, okay. Thank you for your contribution Mr Austin. I quiet like it when you participate in class discussions" Miles grinned and turned to the rest of the class. "Anyone else with any thoughts?"

"Yeah I do" Cody began. "I think Hugo's right, the poem mentions older people sat around, it's a classic family scene with the old people watching the young people play, wishing they could be young again"

"I disagree" Joey spoke up.

"As you would" Hugo sighed.

"Doesn't surprise me" Cody said rolling his eyes.

"Why do you disagree Joey?" Miles asked.

"I don't think it's about life at all or about old people wanting to be young again, well in some respects it is. But it's also about death. It's about the cycle of life." Joey paused. "The sun rises in birth, then each moment of life there's joys that people experience, "The bells cheerful sound", "such such were the joys". Whilst the poem is physically about people enjoying their life on this 'Green', it's about their lives slipping away and the games ending, when the poem closes."

"But that contradicts his poem; The Ecchoing Green is from the Songs of Innocence, if it was about death, surely it'd be in Experience." Huge spoke up.

"Maybe" Miles stood up and moved behind his desk. "There's some good discussion going on here, I'm very proud, usually I have to be sat here poking the lot of you with sticks to force you to join in. Looks like the holidays did you some good" Miles smiled and placed his hands above his head. "So does anyone have anything to say to either Hugo's view or Joey's? Or something completely new?"

"The death thing makes sense Mr Copeland, but it sounds more like a day not a life, the sun rises in the morning, then sets at night and that's why the green gets dark at the end" Janie said as she folded her arms and placed them on the table.

"It's not as logical as that" Joey started to explain to Janie. "It's more metaphorical, the Green isn't going dark because of the night, it's metaphorically going dark because all of the kids who played on it don't anymore. They've all grown up, moved on, there's no more sport and the green is metaphorically darkening."

"That doesn't make any sense. How can it be going dark just because the kids are no longer playing on it?" Belle said to Joey.

"It's not physical darkness; it's like, a nostalgic sadness. People have stopped playing but other people still remember the days when people played there. It's like memories, the event has faded and when the people who have the memories die, the memory fades"

"Right. I still don't think it makes any sense" Belle said shaking her head and looking back to Mr Copeland.

"Okay, well you're all entitled to your opinions." Miles said leaning forward and glancing at the book on his desk. "Next question. Where does the Ecchoing come from then?" Miles asked his students.

"The bells, they're ringing aren't they?" Chelsea piped up.

"It's not the bells, again it's a metaphor; when there's people around playing, living their lives, there's constant noise. The green, or the world, is ecchoing. "While our sports shall be seen on the Ecchoing Green" it's the noise of people. But when it turns to darkening, the people have gone" Joey informed Chelsea.

Just as Hugo was about to speak, the school bell went, it was now time for recess.

"Right, very interesting class today. Once again I'll say how proud I am that such a large amount of you got involved with the discussion, good on you! Enjoy recess and next time we will pick up from where we left today" Miles grinned, pleased with his students.

"Thank god that's over" Belle said standing up and grabbing her books. "Next time don't dawdle!" Belle snapped and exited the classroom.

"Okay, so the class discussions may have improved. But some things never change" Miles said looking at Joey.

"We will never get along Mr Copeland, never have, never will" Joey smiled and exited the classroom, with her books under her arms.

"How was class?" Aden asked as Joey walked up to him.

"I had to sit next to Belle Taylor" Joey frowned as the two walked down stairs.

"Wow and you live to tell it?" Aden pretended to be shocked. "You mean you two actually sat through a whole class together without killing one another?" Aden stopped Joey from walking and gently shook her, pulling her arms and legs, her hair and touching her face, as if to make sure she really was in one piece.

"Ha ha, real funny smart arse" Joey pocked out her tongue.

"Maybe you tore Belle apart?" Aden cheekily smiled at Joey. "Please say you tore Belle apart!"

Joey rolled her eyes and nodded her head toward Belle and Hayley walking down the corridor to head outside.

"She looks to be in one piece" Joey laughed. "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news" Joey joked and the two began walking again. "But no, really, the class was actually okay. We sat around discussing William Blakes 'The Ecchoing Green' and so many people for once actually joined in!" Joey grinned.

"What about Hugo?" Aden asked.

"Hugo actually contributed a ton!" Joey smiled. "So how was your class?"

"Yeah pretty good. I sat next to Noah and we discussed study arrangements. He's coming around ours tomorrow night to kick things off, well as long as it's all okay with Irene"

"I'm sure it will be Ade" Joey said to her best friend. "I'm glad you and Noah are working together. You seem to get along well. I'm sorry for telling you to stay away from him that time"

"Yeah we do get along well, heaps in common. It's fine Jo, I understand that you just said it because Hayley warned Noah to stay away from me" Aden smiled.

"You're the bestest friend for being so understanding" Joey turned around and hugged Aden. "I really don't know what I would do without you Ade"

"I don't know what I'd do without you either Jo" Aden smiled and hugged Joey tighter.

---

The end of the first day of term two had come around quickly and all students were happy to hear the home bell at the end of the day.

"Hi guys, how was school?" Irene asked as Joey and Aden walked inside the house.

"Pretty good actually" Aden smiled "Didn't really get hassled or anything" he said before walking into his bedroom.

"That's good to hear Ade" Irene smiled then looked up at Joey. "What about you love?"

"Oh I got hassled" Joey said throwing her school bag on the floor. "Stupid Belle Taylor, I really can't stand the bitch!"

"Watch the language girlie!" Irene warned. "What'd Belle do this time?"

"Just making my life difficult" Joey sighed and sat down on the couch next to Irene. "It's what she does best"

Irene smiled sympathetically at Joey and rubbed her back.

"Oh and get this, Sally paired Charlie Buckton and I together for a stupid history assignment! One that's going to require a lot of time together" Joey huffed.

"You and Charlie once used to get along you know"

"I know! But that was a real long time ago Irene, I'm talking nappies and dummies!" Joey looked at Irene who had her eyebrow raised. "Okay, so maybe it was only six years ago, but still, things change, she changed." Joey frowned at all the memories that flooded back.

"Fancy coming for a swim Jo?" Aden asked as he walked out of his bedroom wearing only boardies and a towel slung over his shoulder.

"Yeah sure thing" Joey smiled and stood up "Just let me get changed kay?"

Aden nodded as Joey ran off into her bedroom.

"Don't you have homework to do?" Irene asked Aden.

"Well, I have a little bit, but that's something I can do on Sunday" Aden grinned. "The joy of school starting back on a Friday!"

"Alright, as long as you get it done Mr.!" Irene stood up and grabbed her bag. "I've got work until closing time, if you and Joey want something for dinner you can come into Ailsa's and I'll whip you up a dish each" Irene smiled and kissed Aden on the cheek.

"Cheers Irene" Aden smiled. "Oh Irene, is it cool with you if Noah Lawson comes 'round tomorrow afternoon? I'm doing my History assignment with him is all"

"Yeah that's cool with me hun, see you later" Irene said grabbing her keys from the bench. "Bye girlie" She yelled out to Joey before leaving the house.

"Irene gone to work?" Joey asked as she walked out of her bedroom in her bikini, holding a beach bag.

"Yep and we're off to the beach" Aden grinned and two of them left the house.

---

"So have you and Belle made up yet?" Charlie asked Leah as they lay on the beach sunbaking.

"No, she won't answer my calls or my texts" Leah sighed.

"You can't do much more than that, it's up to her now" Charlie smiled and placed her hand on top of Leah's.

"True" Leah smiled. "So how do you think you'll go working with Joey?"

It was now Charlie's turn to sigh.

"I don't know. I guess we just have to try."

"I don't understand why you hate her Charlie. She seems like such a sweet girl" Leah said as she turned over on her stomach to allow the sun to tan her back.

Charlie didn't respond, she sat up and looked out at the ocean to see Aden and Joey running along the water, chasing one another. The same thing that she and Joey used to do several years ago. Charlie placed her sunglasses over her eyes and continued to watch the two friends playing. She felt her little green monster making it's way up her body; she was jealous of Aden and Joey's friendship, once upon a time that would have been her and Joey, she would have been the one throwing Joey into the water, splashing her and dunking her right now, she probably would have been if it wasn't for that one night, that one stupid night where everything changed for the worse. Charlie felt a single tear make its way down her cheek; she quickly wiped it away and laid back on the towel, preparing herself to listen to Leah talking about her new found love life.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four :**

Aden pushed Joey back in the water one last time and quickly made his way back to the sand; the one thing about going for a swim with Joey Collins meant you were most likely going to be stuck in the water with her for several hours, whether you liked it or not.

"You are a party pooper Aden Jefferies!" Joey said as she chased Aden out of the water, grabbing her towel from her beach bag and wrapping it around her body.

"I swear you were a fish in your past life, it's ridiculous how long you can spend in the water"

"I thought you loved water?"

"I do, but I don't love being in it for hours!" Aden said as he spread his towel on the ground and lay on top of it. "I like being on the water, in a boat, for hours though"

"Mmm me too. Although, I'm glad we don't have work tomorrow, I sort of miss my Saturday morning cartoons, even if most of them are repeats" Joey stated as she too lay down on her towel.

"Once upon a time in Toontown, there was a cat that had it all: Fortune and fame, top of the game, up until he hit the wall." Aden goofily sang out loud.

"Now he makes a living downtown, walking on a brand-new beat, Slippin' through the new day, trippin' on a two-way ticket down a one-way street." Joey sang the next line.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" They both sang together.

"Who's that cop, cracking up crime?" Aden sang and moved his legs.

"Stop the clock." Joey sung.

"Hope he gets here on time." The two of them sang and took a deep breath "Let's go Bonkers, yeah, totally nuts. Bonkers, no if's, and's, or but but's, Bonkers, someone's stealing his show? Can't see ya', gotta' go-go! OH NO! Bonkers, things are getting out of control, he's caught in a trap, ready to snap, Zappin' the cap'n and takin' the rap. But you can't hold back that wacky attack, that's why he's still a star, 'Cause you're Bonkers, Bonkers, Bonkers, Bonkers! Wherever you-wherever you-wherever you-wherever you are! Bonkers!" Aden and Joey finished their singing and laughed.

"It feels like forever since I've watched that" Aden frowned. "I miss Bonkers!"

"Bonkers misses you too" Joey laughed and sat up, crossing her legs and facing the water.

"As he should miss me" Aden too sat up. "I'm starved; I think we should go to Ailsa's and grab an early dinner"

"Sounds good. But can we go home first? I'm covered from head to toe in sand and Colleen would hang us if we trekked half the beach inside"

"Yeah, good thinking, 99"

They both stood up and collected their towels off the sand.

"Race you home!" Aden called out as he ran off down the beach.

"No fair! You cheated Aden!" Joey yelled as she chased after him.

---

Belle and Hayley were sat at a table in Ailsa's waiting for Irene to bring their orders out.

"I can't believe that Sally paired Noah with that stupid Jefferies boy!" Hayley said before taking a sip of her milkshake.

"And she paired Charlie with Joey, I think she momentarily lost her marbles" Belle said as she placed her coffee cup back on its saucer.

"At least we have good partners" Hayley smiled. "I suppose that's a bright side"

"Yeah, I guess. Hugo's not that bad. Annoying, but I can depend on him, I know he wont slack off" Belle smiled.

"Same with Kane, although I hope we get the assignment finished before Kirsty has the bubs"

"When's she due?" Belle asked.

"Three weeks time, but she looks like she could go anytime" Hayley grinned, she was really excited for the birth of her best friend's baby.

"I wonder what she will have"

"My money's on a boy" Hayley said, as she cleared her mobile and milkshake so Irene could place her dinner down on the table.

"Here we go love, salt and pepper squid" Irene smiled as she placed Hayley's food in front of her, she moved over to Belle's side of the table and placed her meal down in front of her. "And a chicken lasagna with salad for you"

"Thanks' Irene" both girls spoke.

"Hey Irene, what do you think Kirsty will have?" Hayley asked before Irene turned away.

"Aww, I dunno" Irene paused. "A part of me is hoping it's a girl, but I think she's got a little boy on his way"

"So you both think boy?" Belle laughed.

"Are you talking about Kirsty?" Colleen asked as she overheard the conversation. "I too think she's having a boy, she looks the exact way I did when I was pregnant with my Lancey"

"I'm out of here before she pulls out the flippin' family photo album" Irene said as she hurriedly moved away.

Belle and Hayley laughed and Colleen shook her head.

"Well excuse me for having my opinion!!" Colleen said before she turned away to take customers orders.

---

"You know what, one day I will beat you home, beat you to the shower and be the first ready" Joey said as she glared at Aden who was finally finished with the bathroom.

"I wonder if that will be the same day that pigs fly?" Aden smirked and raised his eyebrow.

"Ha ha" Joey rolled her eyes and pushed Aden out of the door, slamming it behind her, she took her bikini off, shaking it over the bin to get as much sand off as possible, she then did the same with her towel before hopping in the shower.

Aden quickly got dressed in his bedroom and made his way to the kitchen to get a drink. He grabbed a glass from the cupboard, then opened the fridge. A cheeky grin appeared on his face. "Do I want cold water?" He asked looking at the jug of water in the fridge. "Or do I want tap water?" Aden said looking at the taps. "Yeah, tap water" He said nodding his head and walking over to the kitchen sink, he turned the tap on.

"ADEN!" Joey yelled from the bathroom. "OUCH THAT'S HOT!"

"Oh, I'm sorry Jo, I forgot you were in the shower" Aden laughed and turned the tap off.

"ARSEHOLE!" Joey yelled.

Aden walked away from the taps, with his empty cup in hand. "Oh would you look at that, I forgot to get a drink" He said to himself before going back to the kitchen sink and turning the tap on, placing his cup under the tap to fill it with water.

"ADEN STOP IT!" Joey yelled. "TURN THE FRIGGEN TAP OFF!"

Aden did as he was told; he turned the tap off and took a sip of the water as he made his way to the bathroom door. "Sorry Jo"

"YOU ARE NOT" Joey yelled through the door.

"You're right, I'm not" Aden laughed before walking away and sitting on the couch, flicking the TV on.

---

Charlie sat in her bedroom reading the latest TV Hits magazine whilst eating popcorn and blasting her stereo, the one good thing about having her house to herself for the evening; she could play her music as loud as she wished. Charlie looked away from her magazine and stared at her stereo as the song that reminded her of Joey came on.

_You and me, we used to be together. Everyday together always, I really feel that I'm losing my best friend. I can't believe this could be the end, it looks as though you're letting go and if it's real, well I don't want to know._

Charlie grabbed her pillow, held it tight, closed her eyes and sang along with the music. "Don't speak, I know just what you're saying, so please stop explaining, don't tell me cause it hurts. Don't speak, I know what you're thinking and I don't need your reasons, don't tell me cause it hurts." Charlie opened her eyes in time to see her phone flashing; she quickly muted her music and answered her phone.

"Hey Leah" Charlie paused to listen to Leah speak. "Yeah sure, beats eating by myself, meet you there in 10. Love you too" Charlie ended the phone call and started to get ready to head to Ailsa's.

---

"You know, if I wasn't starving before, I well and truly am now" Aden said as Joey finally got out of the shower and was standing in the lounge room dressed in jeans and a singlet, ready to go. "You need to cut your showers shorter!" He said turning the TV off and standing up.

"Who says?" Joey asked.

"Me and my stomach say!" Aden grabbed his wallet and keys. "Let's go, I've locked up the rest of the house, now march!" Aden said as he gently pushed Joey out the door.

---

"So you're working with Hayley? That's awesome babe" Kirsty said as she kissed Kane on the lips.

"Yeah I thought so too" Kane smiled and placed his hand on Kirsty's very large stomach. "I can't wait to meet this little guy"

"Or girl" Kirsty smiled.

"Trust me, it's a boy" Kane grinned and kissed his girlfriends stomach. "Hurry up and come out soon little man"

"So what are you and Haylz studying?"

"We haven't decided yet, she mentioned she'd come over in the morning and we could sort it out then"

"Is it crazy that I wish I could be apart of this?" Kirsty frowned.

"Well next time I'll get pregnant and you can go to school and deal with all the homework and assignments" Kane winked.

"Hmm, homework. Nope, not really a fan of that. Sorry babe" Kirsty grinned. "Ouch! Please stop kicking me little one" Kirsty spoke to her stomach. "That's not stopping!" She said as the baby continued to kick.

"He's just saying hello" Kane said as he held out his hand for Kirsty to place on the spot where their baby was kicking. "He's going to be a soccer player!"

"She's not going to be a soccer player" Kirsty said shaking her head.

"He's going to be a soccer player" Kane repeated again and nodded, laughing as Kirsty rolled her eyes.

---

Belle and Hayley finished their meals and pushed their plates to the middle of the table. They sat talking about their weekend plans.

"What time are you and Kane starting tomorrow?" Belle asked.

"I told him I'd be around at 10:30. What about you and Hugo?"

"Hugo has work until 2:30, so he's coming around at 3" Belle smiled.

"What does Alf think of you having to work with Hugo? He doesn't like him, does he?"

"No he doesn't, but he understands that Sally paired us up." Belle smiled thinking about how protective Alf has been of her ever since he and Ailsa adopted her when she was 5 years old; at the time, they hadn't had any success in having a child of their own, so adoption was the next best thing and her Mum wasn't fit enough to take care of her.

"So are you babysitting Duncan on Sunday?" Hayley asked.

"Yeah, but only in the morning, Alf has to go into Yabbie Creek to get some supplies." Bell smiled. "Dunc's okay though, I just sit him down in front of a video game and he's fine for a few hours" Belle's smile faded as she saw Leah walk into Ailsa's. "I think I'm going to go"

"What? Why?" Hayley asked confused. Belle nodded in the direction of the door, Hayley turned around to see Leah standing by the counter. "You two need to make up Belle"

"I'm not in the mood to make up with her at the moment. What she said to me today was really hurtful. She doesn't understand that to me Alf and Duncan are my real family, just because they're not my blood relations, doesn't mean jack." Belle said standing up and grabbing her bag. "I'll text you tomorrow, say hello to Kirsty for me if you see her"

"Okay" Hayley sadly smiled as she watched Belle exit Ailsa's.

"I take it she hasn't forgiven me yet" Leah said as she walked over to Hayley.

"Nope." Hayley said shaking her head. "You know you really need to think before you speak. Alf and Duncan are Belle's real family, just because they're not blood relations, doesn't mean they're not her family" Hayley said, repeating what Belle just said to her.

"I know that now. I didn't think. She was just being a cow to Charlie, so I stood up for her" Leah said sitting down on the vacant seat next to Hayley.

"I know, but like I said, think before you speak" Hayley paused. "You here by yourself?"

"For the moment, just waiting for Charlie to get here."

"Aw, not meeting Vinnie?" Hayley asked, in an almost teasing voice.

"No" Leah frowned. "It's Vinnie's dad's 40th birthday, so the whole family has gone to the City for the weekend"

"Awww, so no Vinnie all weekend. Whatever will you do Leah?" Hayley taunted.

"It's actually good, it means I can get started on this assignment" Leah smiled.

"Have you spoken to this Rachel?"

"Yeah, I spoke to her this afternoon, she seems really nice, Y'know?"

"I've never noticed her before" Hayley shrugged.

"She said she likes to stick to herself, she really wants to become a Doctor, so she studies a lot"

"Yeah, but she can still make friends with people"

"True. But I think it's nice that she has a goal set out. And who knows, she may start making friends now that we've been paired together" Leah smiled, she liked making new friends and if Rachel was as sweet as she seemed, she could see the two of them becoming really good friends.

---

Charlie walked along the path next to the beach, she wasn't really in the mood for socialising tonight, but she could hardly stop herself from saying yes to having dinner with Leah, she found it really hard to say no to her best friend and she knew that Leah would make her feel happier, she was the kind of person you needed around when you felt miserable.

---

"And a grumble grumble grumble to you too Mr Stomach"

"Joey, can you please stop talking to my stomach, it's really sad" Aden laughed.

"Well tell your stomach to stop talking to me first!" Joey poked her tongue out.

"You're a tool" Aden said shaking his head.

"I'm your favourite tool" Joey said bumping into Aden's side.

"Most days" Aden bumped back.

"Every day" Joey grinned.

"No, really, most days" Aden laughed as Joey punched him in the arm. "You know, you've got a pretty good punch for a girl"

"No, you're just a softy" Joey laughed and once again bumped into her best friend.

---

Hearing laughter, Charlie looked up and saw Aden and Joey walking and bumping one another outside of Ailsa's. She took a deep breath and quickened her pace in order to catch up to them.

"Can we speak for a moment?" Charlie asked Joey.

"Err" Joey looked up at Aden, then back to Charlie. "I guess so" Joey looked back at Aden. "Go get us a table; I'll be in in a minute"

"You sure?" Aden asked.

"Positive Ade" Joey smiled reassuringly at Aden before her turned and walked inside. "So what did you want to speak about?" Joey asked coldly.

"Well I thought it would be a good idea to sort out a study time for this stupid assignment" Charlie replied, just as coldly.

"Sure. Whenever and wherever suits you"

"Dad will be at mine tomorrow, so I don't think it will be a good idea for you to be there"

"Right" Joey nodded. "Irene will be fine if you came around mine"

"Okay, what time?" Charlie asked.

"Around eleven?"

"Alright, see you then" Charlie said before walking away and heading inside Ailsa's.

Joey sighed and looked up to the sky. She was going to need a miracle to get through these study sessions with Charlie Buckton, a bloody big miracle.

--

**Thank you for the reviews! **

**--**

**For those of you who have no idea what Bonkers is, it was an early 90's animated TV show. I absolutely adored it when I was a little tacker. **

**Check the theme song out on YouTube if you'd like /watch?v=mQzbm0kRY9U**

**--**

**& YEY for Esther winning Cosmopolitan's Fun, Fearless, Female award of the year for TV actresses! Congrats to her! **

**-**

**Toastie. x**


	5. Chapter 5

It was 8:38am on Saturday morning, Joey had gone back to sleep an hour ago after waking up to watch an hour of cartoons at 6am after Aden had cheekily set her alarm clock the night before, Irene had long gone to work and Aden was sat on the couch flicking between music channels. He looked up at the clock and decided Joey had had enough sleep for the day. Grabbing a spray bottle from under the sink and filling it with water, Aden quietly creped into Joey's bedroom, crouching down beside Joey's bed, aiming the spray bottle directly in her face, he placed his fingers on the reliever and went to squeeze his fingers.

"Don't even think about it Aden" Joey mumbled, her eyes still closed.

Aden frowned, stood up and plonked himself of top of the bed.

"What do you want?" Joey grumbled.

"I'm bored, so pay attention to me" Aden practically begged.

"I'm tired, so don't pay attention to me" Joey said before turning over in her bed and faced the opposite wall.

"Joey get up! It's almost nine am, you've had tons of sleep" Aden said standing up and walking to the end of the bed "Charlie's coming over at eleven, remember?"

"I tried to forget" Joey mumbled into her pillow.

Aden shook his head and in one swift move, he pulled Joey's blanket off of the bed.

"Aah Aden!" Joey said sitting up. "Give it back!"

"Na uh" Aden grinned.

"Don't be stupid! You're a grown boy, you can entertain yourself! Go for a walk, go for a swim, go do anything other than piss me off!" Joey glared at her best friend.

"Fine" Aden sulked and threw Joey's blanket back on top of her. Joey smiled and curled up in her blanket and closed her eyes to drift off to sleep. Aden shook his head, walked over to the spray bottle, picked it up, undone the lid and poured it over the top of Joey's head.

"ADEN!" Joey screamed.

"That'll teach you to not get up" Aden laughed and threw the bottle on the bottom of the bed before walking out of Joey's bedroom.

"YOU'RE DEAD TO ME NOW" Joey yelled out, shaking her head as she heard Aden laugh even harder. Deciding it was probably best if she didn't go back to sleep, what with her hair and pillow soaking wet and an annoying best friend who would most likely come back in and try to wake her up again, Joey stood up and walked out of her bedroom and into the bathroom to get ready for what today had planned for her.

---

Charlie pulled herself out of bed and sleepily made her way downstairs for some breakfast, she was greeted by the smell of bacon and eggs, looking up she saw her father standing at the stove.

"You're up early Dad" Charlie said before yawning.

"I've not been to bed yet Princess, my shift at the station didn't finish until 8" Ross said as he turned the stove off and placed four slices of bacon on a plate. "So I thought I would make the two of us breakfast and we can sit and have a chat"

"A chat about what?" Charlie asked as Ross placed the plate of bacon in the middle of the table.

"I don't know Charlie, anything that's been happening in our lives over the last week" Ross grabbed the plate of eggs and placed them next to the bacon before sitting down opposite of Charlie. "Toast?"

"Two please" Charlie smiled and grabbed a butter knife. "Thanks" She said as her father handed her the toast. "So how has work been?"

"We don't have to talk about work if you don't want to Charlie"

"No, I want to. I like hearing about how work has been for you" Charlie smiled.

"Well, in that case. It's been good, we've wrapped up a few cases and everyone seems to be working well together" Ross said before taking a bite of his breakfast." I went to the City earlier on in the week, I saw Kathleen"

"Oh how was she? She texted me Thursday night wishing me well for the start of school"

"She's very well. Enjoying being sergeant, I'm very proud of her" Ross smiled. "And I heard that Ben is doing really well at the Academy. I can't wait until you're in the force Charlie"

"We don't even know if I will make it into the Academy Dad"

"Of course you will Charlie, you're a Buckton and policing is what us Buckton's do, it's in our blood." Ross paused and looked at his daughter. "How are your grades going? I hope they've improved since last year, they were atrocious!"

"I've been studying really hard Dad; I've been behaving well and paying full attention in class."

"Well keep it up. I won't have you not making it into the Academy, I want all of my children to be police officers, and I will not have it any other way." Ross said looking sternly at his daughter.

"I'll make you proud" Charlie forced herself to smile at her father. She hated him putting so much pressure on her. Yes, she wanted to be a police officer, it's all she's ever wanted since she was a young girl, but she knew it wouldn't be the end of the world for her if she didn't become one. For her father on the other hand, it would be the end of the world.

"I should hope so" Ross smiled before returning to his breakfast. "So what are your plans for the day? Going to hang out with your friends?" Ross asked.

"I've got a history assignment to do" Charlie said as she placed some egg and bacon in her mouth.

"Oh? What on? Is this a group effort?"

"Something from the Dark Ages, I'm not sure what we are doing yet. The assignment is between two students, we have to do a 5,000 word essay and a speech"

"I see and who is your partner?" Ross questioned.

Charlie paused at her father question. There was no way she could tell him that she had to work with Joey Collins, he would forbid it and march right up to Sally on Monday morning demanding she find me another partner to work with. Charlie took a deep breath and answered her father's question.

"Leah and I got paired up"

"Oh lovely, nice of your teacher to allow you and your best friend to work together" Ross smiled. "So I take it you and Leah will be coming here to do your studies? I assume you wouldn't be going to hers, what with her crazy loud family, you would never get any work done"

"Err; we're going to the library"

"In Yabbie Creek? Would you like a lift there before I go to bed?" Ross asked as he finished eating his breakfast.

"No no! Leah's mum is driving us in, she has to go into Yabbie Creek at the same time, so she offered to take us" Charlie said, lying.

"Alright then sweet heart. I'll just do these dishes and head off to bed" Ross said standing and yawning.

"No, don't worry about it Dad, I'll do them before I get ready" Charlie insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive" Charlie said as she stood up and stacked the dishes up on the table.

"Thank you Princess" Ross smiled and kissed Charlie on top of her head. "I have work all night, so I probably won't be home when you get back, so have a nice weekend and it was lovely eating breakfast with you this morning"

"It was" Charlie smiled. "Sleep well Daddy" Charlie said as she watched her father walk upstairs. Upon hearing his bedroom door shut, Charlie turned around and started to do the dishes, crying as she did. She wished her father wasn't so hard on her, she felt like she had no other option than to succeed at school, she felt pressured to impress her father and become exactly what he wanted her to be.

---

An hour after getting out of bed, Joey was sat at the table eating rice bubbles for breakfast, reading the morning paper as she ate.

"So we've got an hour before Charlie get's here, what do you want to do?" Aden asked as he sat across from her eating his 2nd bowl of cereal for the morning.

"I dunno. What do you want to do?" Joey asked not looking up from the paper.

"We could have a quick game on the Nintendo or play a game of yahtzee?" Aden suggested.

"Yeah, Yahtzee sounds good. We can play the music channel in the background" Joey grinned.

"I'll get everything ready then" Aden said as he finished the rest of his cereal.

"Alright and I'll ditch these" Joey said as she grabbed the two empty bowls and took them out to the sink.

---

"How's Kirsty this morning?" Hayley asked as she placed her history folder and laptop on the study table.

"Pretty tired. She's gone shopping with her mum, something about a few more baby necessities" Kane smiled and handed Hayley a can of coke.

"Thanks" Hayley smiled and turned around to follow Kane back to their study table. "I can't wait until she has the baby"

"Nah me neither, it's going to be great" Kane grinned, he really was excited to become a father.

"So what are we going to do this stupid assignment on?"

"I was searching the web last night before I went to bed, and I liked the sound of either The Frankish Empire or the Migration period" Kane said opening his laptop.

"Frankish Empire sounds good" Hayley smiled. "Okay then, let's do that one!"

---

Aden saved his two sixes and rolled his remaining three dice.

"C'mon! I need a six! Give me a six" Aden watched as the dice finished rolling. "YES! 3 of a kind baby!"

Joey laughed and rolled her eyes. She grabbed the dice and shook them in her hand.

"What do you have to roll?" Aden asked as he finished writing his 3 of a kind down on the pad.

"Yahtzee" Joey grinned.

"Pfft, looks like I'm the winner then" Aden smirked, resting his hands above his head.

"You wish jellyfish" Joey said as she rolled her dice. She saved two fives, and then rolled the last 3 dice, saving another five.

"You're not going to get another two five's Jo, give it up!" Aden taunted.

Joey ignored what Aden had said and rolled the last two dice.

"HA! YAHTZEE!" Joey said rather loudly. "In your face Aden!" Joey said moving from side to side in her seat, as if she was doing a seated happy dance.

"Cheat!" Aden scoffed.

"Oh here comes the bad loser talk" Joey rolled her eyes. "How did I cheat?"

"There's no way that you could have got 5 fives for your last score!" Aden said shaking his head.

"But how did I cheat?" Joey asked again.

"Alright, so you didn't. You're just damn lucky." Aden smiled and looked over at the TV, grinning back at Joey when their favourite song came on. "Is this the real life?"

"Or is this just fantasy?" Joey sung.

"Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality" The two best friends sang along to their favourite song.

---

Charlie gathered her history book, her laptop bag and handbag and made her way downstairs and out the front door, it was 10:45am and it was a 10 minute walk to Joey's house.

---

"So who was the first King of the Franks?" Hayley asked as she finished writing down the information Kane had just told her.

"Err" Kane paused as he read the information up on the screen. "Says here Clovis was, he ruled the Franks from 481 til 511 AD" Kane said as Hayley wrote down the information. "He was the son of Childeric 1, who was the Merovingian king of the Salian Franks"

"Ah this is going to be a long day" Hayley groaned.

---

"I see a little silhouetto of a man" Joey sang standing up on one of the chairs.

"Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango" Aden sang from where he stood near the front door. "Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-"

"Galileo" Joey sang in a deep voice.

"Galileo" Aden sang in a little voice.

"Galileo" Joey sang once again in a deep voice.

"Galileo"

"Galileo figaro-magnifico" Joey sang loudly.

"I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me" Aden sung and pouted.

"He's just a poor boy from a poor family" Joey sang, pointing to Aden "Spare him his life from this monstrosity"

---

Charlie walked across the road and up the drive way to Joey's house, walking around the back she stopped when she heard Joey and Aden singing loudly. Moving closer to the back door, she placed her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

"Mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go!" Aden sang, he stopped dancing when he saw Charlie leaning against the door frame, he switched the TV off.

"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for meeeeeeeeeee" Joey sang really high pitched. She looked at Aden. "Why have you stopped?"

"Yeah, why have you stopped? I was enjoying the show" Charlie smirked from the back door.

Joey swung around and glared at Charlie. "Haven't you heard of knocking?" Her voice was flat.

"You wouldn't have heard me over your atrocious singing and the loud music"

"That doesn't matter" Joey said as she folded her arms.

"I'm gonna head down to the beach" Aden said looking between the two girls. "Have fun studying" He said before exiting the house.

"I suppose we better start this damn assignment then" Joey spoke coldly. "We have to study in my room as Irene will be home at lunch time, she's having a few guests around, so they will be out here" She said before walking off into her bedroom.

Charlie sighed and followed Joey into the bedroom. Today was going to be a very long and awkward day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Howdy all!**

**-**

**I am so sorry for not updating this sooner! **

**-**

**I hope I still have some people reading this =).**

**-**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter =)**

**-**

**Let me know what you think. It's only going to get interesting from here =). **

**-**

**MissToastie.**

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**Chapter Six :**

"Do you think we've earned a break yet?" Hayley said as she placed her pen down on the table and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Definitely" Kane stood up and stretched, looking up at the sound of the front door swinging open. "Hey babe" Kane grinned.

"Argh" Kirsty groaned and walked over to Kane, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Someone's a little exhausted after our shopping" Shelly smiled as she walked inside and stood behind Hayley and placed her hand on head and ruffled her hair.

"I am too fat to do this!" Kirsty mumbled.

"Babe, you are not fat! You are pregnant!" Kane soothed as he ran his hand up and down his girlfriends back.

"Fat, Pregnant what's the difference!" Kirsty moved from Kane's embrace and sat down on the chair. "Hey Haylz"

"Hey" Hayley smiled. "So did you not get any shopping done?"

"Yeah, we did." Shelly said as she moved over to Kane. "We left everything in the car; we thought this one would like to put his muscles to work for us"

Kane bent his arms and flexed his muscles, making all three girls laugh, before walking outside to retrieve the shopping bags.

---

Joey walked into her bedroom, she made her way to her school bag which was shoved on top of her wardrobe, pulling it down and throwing it on the bed, she opened it up and pulled her history book out. Charlie stood at the door way, observing what Joey was doing.

"You can come in, you know" Joey said in a not so pleasant way.

Charlie nodded her head and entered the room, looking around she took in the changes that Joey had made to the room, the last time Charlie had been in this room was when they were twelve years old, the room at the time was pink with a few posters of Hanson and Spice Girls, a single bed with flower prints was in the corner of the room and a bedside table accompanied it. Now Joey's room was cream with a deep purple feature wall. A large black framed poster of Drew Barrymore hung in the centre of the feature wall with two smaller framed posters each side, one with Sarah Michelle-Gellar in it and the other with Gwen Stefani. The single bed was now replaced by a double bed with a black blanket and valance. On one side of the room was a dressing table and a large wardrobe and on one side of the room was a study desk. The only thing that hadn't changed was how neat and tidy and organised everything was.

"Nice room" Charlie said as she pulled the chair out from the desk.

"Yeah, thanks" Joey walked over to the desk and placed her history book down before exiting the room.

Charlie opened her history book and removed her laptop from her bag and set it up, looking up as Joey entered the room carrying a chair and placing it next to her, she sat down and opened her own laptop.

"So are we both going to work from our laptops?" Charlie asked.

"Well, yes. That would be the logical thing to do. That way we can both research information, therefore this assignment will be quickly finished and we won't have to spend anymore time together" Joey replied without taking her eyes away from her laptop.

"Right" Charlie nodded. "So what are we going to research?"

Joey opened her history book and flicked through the pages until she found the assignment information sheet that Ms Fletcher had handed out. "Write a 5,000 word essay on either a reigning King, a war, a battle or on an outstanding figure from The Early Middle Ages." Joey read loudly and paused. "So I guess we are going to research either a reigning King, a war, a battle or an outstanding figure from the Early Middle Ages" Joey smirked.

"Do you have to be such a smart arse? Really Joey, we have to work together to get this done, like you said, we won't have to spend anymore time together if we quickly finish this, so can we please just put everything aside and work on this stupid assignment?!" Charlie threw her hands in the air in frustration.

"Fine, whatever. Did you have any idea on what we could research?" Joey said in a flat tone.

Charlie sighed and opened up a search engine on her laptop, she typed in "Early Middle Ages". Joey watched what was happening and then typed in the same thing on her own computer.

---

Leah walked along a path until she came to the street sign that read "McMaster Avenue" She grinned when she had successfully found Rachel Armstrong's street, walking down the little avenue, she read each house number as she walked passed until she came to house number 12, she took another look at the address Rachel had written down for her and then back up the house, she grinned, the house was a beautiful dark brick two story house with green lawn and two rows of white roses on each sides of the fence. She walked up to the front door and knocked on the door, smiling when after a few moments a young boy answered the door.

"Hi, ah is Rachel here?"

"Yeah, I'll just get her. Who should I say is here?" He asked politely.

"Leah Poulos"

Leah watched as the young boy shut the door, she looked around once again at the garden and admired the beauty.

"Leah, Hi, sorry about that, come on in" Rachel greeted Leah with a warm smile.

"Oh no worries. Was that your brother?" Leah asked as the two of them walked upstairs.

"Yeah, that's Brad. He's 14" Rachel led the way into her bedroom. "How are you today?"

"Yeah, not too bad thank you! Yourself?" Leah asked as she sat down on Rachel's bed with her.

"I'd be fine if my little sister didn't wake me up at 6 am asking for me to turn the cartoons on for her" Rachel grinned, even though she hated being woken up that early, she loved her little sister.

"That's cute" Leah smiled and opened her history book. "You ready to start this?"

"About as ready as I will ever be" Rachel laughed and reached over for her own history book.

---

It had been almost an hour since Charlie and Joey decided that they would write their assignment on The Gothic War and the two of them were working really well together, both deciding that it was for the best that they put their past behind them for the duration of the assignment.

Joey removed her fingers from her laptop and stretched her arms high in the air, yawning as she did.

"I forgot how exhausting doing assignments can be"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Especially on subjects I don't find interesting" Charlie said as she rubbed her temples.

Joey laughed. "Do you find _any_ subjects interesting?"

Charlie turned to look at Joey who had a huge cheeky grin on her face and her left eyebrow slightly rose.

"I don't mind Sport and Science. Just everything else, I hate"

"Right" Joey nodded. "Fair call. The only two subjects I like are English and History"

"Hmm, yeah those two classes would have to be my least favourite. Well, I prefer them over Maths"

"I think anyone would prefer anything over Maths" Joey scrunched her nose.

Charlie laughed at the expression on Joey's face, knowing exactly why she was scrunching her nose up.

"Mrs Croft" Charlie shook her head.

"Mmhmm...Definitely not a Lara"

Charlie laughed yet again. She had missed the way that Joey could easily make her laugh.

"No, definitely not." Charlie smiled. "Mrs Croft reeks too. It's why I hate having Maths before Lunch; the smell really turns me off my food"

Joey laughed and looked at Charlie. She was even more beautiful than she had realised. Her skin was gorgeous, her smile even more breath taking and her eyes sparkled when she laughed.

"I know what you mean" Joey smiled.

Charlie turned and looked her, their eyes locked straight away but both girls were forced to look away as the sound of the phone ringing from in the kitchen interrupted them both.

"I'll err, just go answer that" Joey said as she raced out of the room.

Charlie nodded and moved her hair behind her ears. Casting another look around the bedroom, she spotted a photo frame on the desk, leaning over her laptop she picked up the photo frame and smiled. It was a photo of Joey, Irene and Aden, it looked recent, and judging by the decorations in the background, the photo would have been taken around Christmas time. All three had big grins on their faces; Charlie smiled and ran her fingers over Joey, stopping when she noticed the necklace Joey was wearing.

**- Flash Back - December 24th, 1992 -**

**Ross Buckton and Link Collins walked in the back door, carrying two trays of meat they had just cooked up on the Barbeque, yelling out for everyone to come and get some. They placed the meat trays on the table where ever they could find room. Ross stood behind his wife Elsie whilst Link joined Deidre who was stood near the doorway. **

**"Out the road Daddy, coming through!" A little voice called out behind him.**

**"Joey, no running inside please!" Link warned his little girl. **

**"I'm sorry daddy! I just wanted to get some food" Ten year old Joey said as she walked up to her father and hugged him. **

**All adults and Joey looked to the door as they heard screaming coming from the hallway and then saw Ben running into the kitchen followed by a crying Charlie.**

**"Ben pushed me into the wall!" She sobbed as she walked over to her mother and cried in her arms.**

**"Did not!" Ben said as his jaw dropped at his sisters claims. **

**"Did too you fat liar!" Charlie yelled. **

**"DID NOT CHARLIE!" Ben screamed back. **

**"Liar liar pants on fire!" Charlie taunted. **

**Eighteen year old Kathleen walked into the kitchen wearing headphones as she listened to her walkman; she grabbed a plate and served herself some food. **

**"Benjamin, I think you should apologise to your sister please" Ross asked his twelve year old son. **

**"But I didn't do anything Dad!" **

**Charlie glared at her bigger brother. **

**"Alright, I'm sorry" Ben said as he grabbed a second sausage and placed it on his plate. **

**Joey walked over to Charlie and wrapped her arms around her neck. **

**"It's okay Charlie" **

**Charlie grinned at the hug from her best friend, she always made things better. **

**After everyone served up their food, they made their way to the family room and sat down in front of the TV to watch the movie that Charlie and Joey had chosen. 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' Ever since seeing it at the cinema last month, it had become their favourite film. **

**An hour and a half later, the movie had finished, Ben sat in front of the TV playing his Nintendo, Kathleen had long gone upstairs to listen to music and the four adults had made their way into the kitchen to begin cleaning up. Charlie and Joey sat on the couch watching the game Ben was playing.**

**"Come to my room, I want to give you something" Charlie grinned and pulled Joey's hand and the two of them ran upstairs. "Sit on my bed, hold out your hands and close your eyes" **

**"You're not going to put a bug in my hands are you?" Joey said scrunching up her face.**

**"No silly! Now just do as I say!" Charlie laughed and as soon as Joey had her eyes closed and hands out, she moved over to her top drawer and grabbed a box, opened it and stood in front of Joey, placing one of the items from the box in Joey's hands. **

**"Open your eyes" Charlie grinned. **

**Joey opened her eyes and looked at the necklace in her hands.**

**"It's a turtledove necklace" Charlie beamed. "I have one. You have one. As long as we each have a turtledove, we'll be friends forever"**

**Joey grinned, stood up and placed the necklace around her neck and hugged Charlie. "Friends forever". **

**- End of Flash Back -**

Charlie smiled at the turtledove necklace that Joey was wearing. It was the same necklace she had given to her eight years ago. Hearing Joey say goodbye on the phone, Charlie put the photo frame back in its place and opened up the webpage to make it look like she had been reading through information regarding their assignment.

"Sorry, that was just Irene wondering if Ade and I needed any food" Joey said as she sat down on her chair. "So where were we up to?"

"Uhm" Charlie said as she opened the file on her computer where she had been typing up their assignment. "We were writing the arrival of Narses"

"Okay. Let's get back into it then" Joey smiled and the two of them began to write their assignment again.

---

"Sorry I couldn't stay that long. My mother drives me insane most of the time" Leah groaned as Rachel walked her to the front gates.

"That's fine, I completely understand. I have to babysit Brad and Tamsyn quiet often as Dad's at work most of the time" Rachel smiled.

"What would they do without us?" Leah joked. "It was really nice spending some time with you Rach, you're a really awesome chick" Leah grinned.

Rachel laughed. "Thank you. So are you."

"Rach, someone's on the phone for you" Six year old Tamsyn sung out from the front door.

"I'll let you take that and I'll see you at school on Monday"

"Yeah, see you then Leah. Bye" Rachel said before running off inside.

Leah grinned and started to head home. She had only been at Rachel's for an hour and a half, but that was the most fun she had had with a friend, other than Charlie, for a long time. She noticed how well she had gotten along with Rachel in the hour and a half and realised she had felt more comfortable and accepted than she had ever felt in the company of Belle and Hayley in the 10 years that they had been friends. Leah walked along the path and headed on her way home, she was about to cross the road when she saw the blue Ute that belonged to her boyfriend pull up along side her.

"Hey there brown eyed beauty, fancy a lift?" Vinnie asked with a huge goofy grin on his face.

"That'd be great! I have to be home in 10 minutes" Leah smiled.

"Well, jump in precious" Vinnie winked at his girlfriend.

Leah laughed and jumped in the car, kissing Vinnie before they set off in direction of her house.

---

"Spell check says 3,330" Charlie groaned.

"Argh! Why is this taking forever to do?!" Joey said resting her head on her hands.

"Because it's stupid" Charlie snickered.

Joey laughed and sighed. Charlie glanced at the clock on her screen.

"I suppose I had better get going, I told dad I would make him dinner before he went to work tonight" Charlie said as she saved the work they had been doing.

"Oh okay. Fair enough" Joey nodded and started to pack up her things. "I suppose we will carry on next weekend or something ,yeah?"

"Or you could come over to mine on Tuesday? We've only got half a day and I know for certain that Dad won't be there as he is heading away on Monday night until Thursday"

"Oh, yeah sure. That sounds great" Joey smiled and watched as Charlie gathered her things, the two of them walked to the door.

"Thanks for today, it was surprisingly good" Charlie grinned.

"Yeah, it was actually. We're still alive, eh" Joey laughed.

"Mmm" Charlie nodded. "I'll see you on Monday" Charlie said before slowly walking off.

"See you" Joey smiled and closed the door; she leaned on the back of the couch, grinning at how the day went. She jumped when the front door opened.

"Wow. Charlie walked off in one piece. You stand there in one piece. I'm guessing the study session went a little better than anyone thought it would" Aden grinned.

"Yeah, it was...good" Joey nodded. "We got along really well. Surprising us both"

"Who would have thought hey?" Aden said throwing his things in his room. "So did you get all of your assignment done?"

"No, we're pretty much half way through. We're meeting up after school on Tuesday"

"After school on Tuesday? That's when you and I usually grab a movie and chillax!"

"Yes, because we don't usually do that any other night of the week. Not to mention all weekend" Joey raised an eyebrow.

"But they're different!" Aden said looking offended.

"Different how, Aden?"

"They're, they're...They're Tuesdays!" Aden said shrugging his shoulders.

Joey shook her head and walked off into the kitchen.

"Well I think seems as though you're blowing me off on Tuesday, you can make me dinner tonight" Aden said following after her.

---

Charlie entered her house and placed her laptop and book on the kitchen table, grabbing a note that was leaning up against the fruit bowl.

_"Charlie, gone to work, decided to grab something from Ailsa's on the way. Have a good night; I hope your study session went well. No wild parties. Love Dad" _

Charlie turned around and locked the front door and headed up stairs. She turned on her stereo player and turned the volume up. The music to 'Poison' by Alice Cooper started.

Charlie walked off into her bathroom; she tied her hair up and looked at herself in the mirror before walking back into her bedroom, sitting on her bed. She began to sing along with the song.

"I hear you calling and its needles and pins. I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name. Don't want to touch you but you're under my skin. I want to kiss you but your lips are venomous poison, you're poison running through my veins. You're poison, I don't wanna break these chains" Charlie screamed out, she couldn't even hear herself sing the music was that loud. She looked over at her bedside table and pulled the top drawer open and grabbed a black box that was at the back and opened it on her bed. She smiled at the photo that was on top inside the box, it was her first photo with Joey, they were eight years old. The photo was taken at the park; they had their arms around each other's shoulders and big goofy smiles on their faces. The next photo was of the two of them at ten years old, December 24th 1992, taken not long after Charlie had given Joey the necklace. Charlie looked inside the box at the last item that was in there. She reached in and picked it up, a long silver necklace with a turtledove on the end of it. She held the necklace in the palm of her hand before placing it around her neck. Standing up and walking down stairs, she quickly fixed herself some dinner before heading back to her bedroom, she placed a DVD in the player and turned on her TV, climbing into bed she switched her phone to silent and pressed play on the remote. It wasn't even dark outside and Charlie had already decided she was going to watch the movie and get an early night sleep. She snuggled under her sheets as the 'Home Alone 2' started.


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologise again for leaving you guys for so long! But I'm back now. =).**

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**Unfortunately I'm crook at the moment. Stupid damn flu *shakes fist*. Yesterday I could only manage to write one chapter before I felt like dying, haha. But today, I've somehow managed to write almost 3 chapters, so yey, I shall be able to update regulary for a while! **

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**Thank you once again for the reviews! I'm glad the flashback was liked! **

**-**

**MissToastie**

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**Chapter Seven :**

Monday morning came around quickly; Charlie had spent the remainder of the weekend at home ignoring phone calls from all of her friends. Waking up at 7am, she dragged herself to the shower to get ready for school; making sure she turned her stereo up full blast on the way.

---

Joey woke early and happy, she jumped out of bed, threw her jogging outfit on and skipped through the house to Aden's bedroom door, knocking several times and dancing on the spot.

Aden pulled himself out of bed, opened the door and was greeted by his smiling best friend.

"Why are you so happy? It's seven in the morning" Aden said as he rubbed his right eye with his hand.

"Rise and shine princess! We've got some serious jogging to do." Joey beamed and continued doing a little dance.

Aden eyed Joey up and down; he couldn't contain the smile growing on his face.

"Did you and Charlie get down and dirty on Saturday?" Aden asked, raising his eyebrow.

Joey stopped dancing and shot Aden a dirty look.

"No we did not. I can be happy without having to have had sex Aden Jefferies" Joey folded her hands over her chest and glared at the shirtless guy standing in front of her.

"See" Aden stepped forward and pinched Joey's cheeks. "This grumpy glaring care bear is the usual Joey that I wake up to" He smiled before turning to head back in his room, laughing when he received a swift kick up his bum from Joey.

---

Twenty minutes later Charlie was dressed and ready for school. She turned her music off, grabbed her school bag and books and headed down stairs. She placed her now packed school bag near the back door, grabbed her walkman, pressed play and began to cook her breakfast.

---

"I won!! I won!!" Joey jumped up and down as she reached the front door first. "I can't believe I actually won!!" Joey screamed.

Aden laughed at the excitement level coming from the dark haired girl.

"About time, it only took you, what, four years to do so?" Aden clapped his hands together "Well done Jo, well done!"

Joey rolled her eyes and entered the house.

"Wooo! First shower of the day. I will have to write this down, the day I actually bet you home! This is too good" Joey grinned as she entered the bathroom "If anybody wants me I will be having a shower, the first person in the house hold to shower today. WOOO!" Joey wove to Aden before closing the door.

"What's made her so happy this morning?" Irene asked as she walked down stairs, dressed and ready for work.

Aden looked her up and down and laughed.

"What's so funny Mister?" Irene asked looking from Aden to what she was wearing, worried that what she was wearing looked ridiculous.

"You've had a shower this morning, haven't you?"

"Well of course I have, I don't wait all flippin' day for you two drongo's to get home from your jog to shower. Once you's are out the door, I'm in that shower, enjoying peace and quiet while it lasts!" Irene said as she walked passed Aden and into the kitchen, turning around when she heard Aden laughing again. "What on earth has gotten into you this morning?"

"Ah nothing, It's just that Joey's all high and mighty because she reckons she finally got the first shower in the house" Aden controlled his laughter and sat on a stool at the kitchen bench.

Irene laughed and placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't tell the poor love, let her think she finally got the best of everyone" Irene grabbed her handbag "I'll tell you what, pretend I'm still asleep so she doesn't know I've showered and I'll head to work now"

"Yeah no worries" Aden smiled at Irene.

"Good on ya love" Irene picked up her keys and headed out the door. "Toodle-oo"

"Catch ya" Aden swung around in the chair and walked over to the bathroom door. "Hurry up pretty girl!" Aden banged on the door.

---

Charlie danced around her kitchen with her walkman in her left hand, blasting her all time favourite song.

"Hit me with your best shot" Charlie held a sauce bottle in her right hand, imagining it to be a microphone "Why don't you hit me with your best shot!" Charlie shook her head and jumped backwards "Hit me with your best shot! Fire awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" Charlie sung loudly with her eyes shut, not noticing her father had just come home.

Ross stood in the door way with a huge smile on his face, enjoying the entertainment that his seventeen year old daughter was providing him with.

"Well you're the real tough cookie with a long history, of breaking little hearts like the one in me" Charlie spun around and opened her eyes, squealing when she saw her father standing watching. She ripped her headphones off and placed her hand on her chest. "DAD! You scared the living shit out of me!"

"I'm sorry darling girl, I didn't mean to startle you" Ross smiled.

"That's fine. Err, how long have you been standing there?"

"Oh, not long at all princess" Ross grinned and turned to walk off. "Have a good day at school darling" Ross winked, closed his eyes, shook his head and jumped backwards several times, mirroring the actions of what his daughter had just finished doing.

"Oh, you're a real comedian, Dad" Charlie laughed and glanced up at the clock, eight am. She placed her walkman on the kitchen table, walked over to the mirror she straightened her dress out and brushed her hair into a ponytail. Grabbing her school bag, she closed the door behind her and made her way to school.

---

Joey and Aden entered the school grounds at 8:10am, noticing that hardly anyone was around; they set off in direction of the library, hoping that the librarian would allow them in 20 minutes early.

---

Hayley, Noah and Belle walked along the beach, holding their school shoes in their hands.

"So how much of the assignment did you and Hugo get done?" Hayley asked her best friend.

"Ah, not much at all really. We err, kind of got distracted, if you know what I mean" Belle said winking at Hayley and Noah.

"You and Hugo?!" Hayley said a little too loudly. Belle nodded.

"I wouldn't pick you two for couple material" Noah said as he held hands with his girlfriend.

"What? Oh we're not a couple." Belle paused. "It was just a bit of study fun"

"Just make sure you two are safe" Hayley stopped Belle from walking when she heard her best friend laugh. "I'm serious Belle. Just be careful"

"I will" Belle smiled and looked ahead to see Charlie walking in front of them. "Buckton!"

Charlie turned around and waited for her friends to catch up. "Hey guys" Charlie smiled.

"Hey guys? Really?" Belle asked. "We've been trying to get hold of you all weekend. I was starting to think that maybe Joey held you hostage and was working her lesbian ways with you"

Charlie forced a laugh. "No, not at all. I just decided I needed a quiet weekend, I had the house to myself"

"Wait you had the house to yourself?" Hayley said cutting in. "And you didn't have a party, why?"

"Like I said, I needed a quiet weekend" Charlie turned to start walking. "So have you guys spoken to Leah?"

"No!" Belle scoffed.

"Let me guess, queen B hasn't forgiven her yet?" Noah whispered. Charlie smiled at him, she being the only one who heard what he had said.

"C'mon let's get to school" Hayley said ushering her boyfriend and two friends off the beach.

---

Ten minutes later, Belle, Hayley, Noah and last but not least, Charlie entered the school grounds.

"Hey Charlie" Joey greeted Charlie with a smile as she walked down the stairs.

"Hey Jo" Charlie smiled back and hurried off to catch up with her friends.

"Now that's an improvement" Aden nudged Joey down the stairs and the two of them set off in destination of their lockers.

"Hey Leah!" Charlie grinned as she saw her best friend standing by her locker; she walked up to her and hugged her tightly. She had missed seeing her over the weekend.

"Hey Charlz" Leah hugged back. "How did your study sesh go?"

"Pretty well actually" Charlie whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear her say that. "How did yours go? How is Rachel?"

Leah grinned, pleased that Charlie and Joey's study session went well. "That's good. Mine was really good! Rachel is so lovely Charlie"

"That's great to hear" Charlie smiled.

"What's great to hear?" Belle asked, butting into the girl's conversation.

"Uhm" Charlie looked at Leah for answers.

"Just that Vinnie and I had a great day yesterday" Leah smiled.

"Did you...you know? Do it?" Hayley whispered.

"No! I'm not interested in doing 'it' until marriage"

"How boring and uptight of you" Belle said before opening her locker and placing her books inside.

Leah rolled her eyes and decided not to react to what Belle had just said.

Aden and Joey walked over to their lockers and placed the books they had just borrowed inside. Joey turned around to see Charlie looking at her, they both smiled to one another.

"What was that?" Belle asked once Joey and Aden had walked off.

"What was what?" Charlie asked.

"That smile that you two just shared? For Christ sake Charlie, PLEASE don't tell me you two are friends again" Belle said slamming her locker shut. "Because if that's the case, then you can fuck right off and stop hanging around with me." Belle turned and walked off to class.

The bell rang indicating first lesson was about to start, Charlie grabbed her history book and walked into the classroom. She sat in between Leah and Noah. Hayley sat next to her boyfriend and Belle sat next to her best friend.

"Good morning everyone" Sally smiled as she walked inside. "I hope you have all started your assignments over the weekend"

"Yeah, we did something like that, Ms" Hugo grinned, looking at Belle.

"Haylz and me only have one thousand words to write, then we have to do the break down into a speech thingy" Kane said as he clicked his pen several times before placing it on the table.

"That's good to hear. What about everyone else?" Sally asked as she sat behind her desk. After a few people asked some questions, she looked up and looked between Charlie and Joey. "Dare I ask how you two are going?"

Charlie looked over at Belle who shot her a death stare. She remembered what Belle had said in the hallway.

Joey smiled "Actually we're going"

"Everything will be a lot better once we finish this stupid assignment and won't have to be around each other for long periods of time" Charlie spoke coldly, cutting Joey off.

"Right" Sally looked between the two girls one last time. Charlie looked blank and Joey looked confused. "Let's continue from last lesson than shall we?" Sally turned around and began to write on the board.

Joey stared at the back of Charlie's head in disbelief.

"Some people never change" Aden said placing his hand on Joey's arm.

Joey nodded and quickly wiped a tear that had fallen down her face, quietly cursing herself for believing that Charlie Buckton may have actually changed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for sending a notification for this again, I totally didn't write anything at the start and I felt rude :S.**

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**Thank you for the well wishes! I appreciate them! Also appreciate the amazing reviews, I love hearing what you guys think! It's such a thrill to get reviews! **

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**MissToastie**

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**Chapter Eight :  
**

"So are you still going around Charlie's this arvo?" Aden asked as he placed a freshly made sandwich in front of Joey.

"I guess" Joey mumbled. "Thanks for lunch" She glumly said before taking a bite.

Aden sighed and began to eat his lunch, he was worried about his best friend, she had been in the foulest of moods since Monday, She had tried to speak to Charlie at lunch time but she just nudged passed and completely ignored her.

---

"Oh my god, guess who's having a MASSIVE party on Saturday night?" Belle said as she rushed up to Hayley and Charlie who were sat in Ailsa's eating their lunch.

"Uhm"

"Jason Gannon!" Belle squealed.

"Oh okay, cool" Charlie smiled "So who's up for the cinema this weekend?" Charlie asked, changing the subject. She knew Jason Gannon was Trouble with a capital T, her father had always warned her about him and his brother Michael, they were known drug addicts and party animals.

"Charlie, did you not hear what I just said? Jason Gannon is having a massive party this weekend! Stuff the cinema! We're partying it up at Jason's house!" Belle sat at the table.

Leah walked over and joined her friends at the table, catching on to the end of Belle's sentence. "Who's Jason?"

"Jason Gannon" Hayley smiled.

"The druggie?" Leah whispered. Charlie nodded.

"Oh don't let that stop you two from coming, all you have to do is stay away from the drugs. Simple as that"

"I won't be coming Belle, I'm sorry but I refuse to associate with druggies"

"Oh why doesn't that surprise me Leah" Belle rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, I'm off. Study at Rachel's house" Leah said glaring at Belle and walking off.

"Charlie you're coming, no if's or but's" Belle grinned. "Guess who's going to be there?"

"I'm not good at guessing games" Charlie said sourly.

"Grant!"

"And? Grant and I have been over for years Belle."

"He's still into you Charlz. I saw him earlier, told him you'd be there, he was excited, to say the least"

"Look I have to go. I have a study session to get to" Charlie said, standing up and grabbing her school bag from under the table.

"With Joey?" Hayley asked raising her eyebrow.

"Well who else would it be?" Charlie snapped before walking out of Ailsa's.

---

"Kaaaaaaaaane" Kirsty screamed as she walked down the stairs.

"Babe? Babe what's wrong?" Kane ran over to his girlfriend who had walked into the lounge room.

"I think the babies coming" Kirsty grabbed Kane's shirt and screamed. "Aaaaaaah"

"Shit! Uh, okay! Let's get you to the car" Kane held Kirsty's arm and lead her outside to the car.

---

Charlie entered her house, threw her school bag across the room and flopped down on the couch, kicking her shoes off, she lay back on the couch and stared at the ceiling, wishing she was strong enough to tell Belle that she wasn't going to the party on the weekend, but she wasn't. She didn't know how to say no to her; And knowing that her ex boyfriend, Grant Bledcoe was going to be there, made her wish harder that she could say no. Grant and Charlie dated for two years and to say Charlie was happy when he ended things would be the biggest understatement in the world. Charlie looked up at the clock, grabbed her phone and began to send a text message.

---

Aden and Joey were sat on the couch watching 'Halloween' when Joey's phone beeped. Joey reached over to the table, grabbed her phone and read the message.

"Who's that from?" Aden asked, even though he had a rough idea who it would be from.

"Charlie" Joey mumbled as she read the message for the second time. _'Hey J, you still coming over today? House is empty. Xx' _

"Study still on?"

Joey stared at the message, feeling déjà vu over powering her. She had received a similar message from Charlie 5 years ago.

"Earth to Joey?" Aden said waving his hand in front of Joey's face.

"Yeah it is" Joey stood up and walked into her bedroom, reappearing a few moments later with her laptop and bag. "I'll see you when I get home" and with that Joey left the house.

---

Hearing a knock on the door, Charlie walked over and answered it.

"Hey Jo" Charlie smiled.

"Hi" Joey replied. Her face was expressionless.

"Come in" Charlie stepped back, allowing Joey to enter the house. "How are you?"

"Let's just get this over and done with" Joey replied.

"Right" Charlie nodded and began to walk up stairs. "Follow me"

---

Arriving at the hospital, Kane ran inside, leaving Kirsty in the car.

"Excuse me, I need a wheelchair. My girlfriend is out in the car and she's gone into labour" Kane spoke really fast.

---

Charlie entered her bedroom and sat on her bed, looking up as Joey entered.

Joey looked around the bedroom; it had definitely changed since she was last in there.

**- Flash back - Five years ago -**

**Joey lay nervously on her bed, she checked her phone for what seemed like the hundredth time in an hour. Did Charlie really mean what she had said earlier in the day? Joey jumped when her text tone went off. She picked it up and read the message several times in her head. **_**'House is officially empty. See you soon xx'. **_

**Joey smiled, got out of bed and made her way to the Buckton residence. **

**"Hey you" Charlie greeted Joey at the door.**

**"Hey" Joey shyly replied and entered the house. **

**"Sorry I took so long to reply, Mum and Dad took a while to leave" Charlie said as she moved in closer to her friend, kissing her on the lips.**

**"That's okay" Twelve year old Joey replied nervously. **

**"Are you sure you want to do this?" Charlie asked. **

**"Yeah, definitely" Joey nodded and the two girls walked up stairs to Charlie's bedroom. **

**Charlie walked over and sat on her bed. **

**"Are you going to come in or what?" Twelve year old Charlie laughed and patted her bed. **

**- End of Flash Back -**

"Are you going to come in or what?" Seventeen year old Charlie asked as she patted the end of her bed.

Joey swallowed hard and walked over and sat on the bed, placing her laptop and other belongings next to her on the bed.

"So are we going to do this?" Charlie asked.

**- Flash back - Five years ago -**

**Joey sat on the bed in front of Charlie. She looked around the room. **

**"You're so nervous" Charlie smiled and placed her hand on Joey's arm, an action that caused Joey's body to tingle. **

**"Yeah" Joey smiled. "Are you sure no one else is home?" **

**"Positive. Mum and Dad left 20 minutes ago. Kath's at the academy and Ben's around his friend's house" **

**Joey nodded and grinned. "So are we really going to do this?" **

**"Well, yeah. I mean, I want to" Charlie smiled. "Do you?" **

**"Yeah, of course I do. I just, don't know what to do" Joey looked down and blushed. **

**"Well when Kathleen told me about her first time, she said they just started off by kissing and then touching each other in the places that felt right and then one thing lead to another" Charlie shrugged. **

**"But Kathleen did it with a boy" Joey paused "And we're both girls" **

**"You said you liked girls" **

**"I do like girls. I think I do anyway" Joey said crossing her legs. "But isn't it going to be different than what Kathleen did. Maybe it doesn't work like that with two girls"**

**"I guess we will just have to find out" Charlie said as she leaned forward and captured Joey's lips with her own. **

**- End of Flash Back -**

Joey nodded and opened her laptop case.

"You might have to sit up here, I don't know about your internet, but with ours, it plays up at the end of the bed for some reason"

Joey checked to see if her internet was working. No Signal. She sighed, stood up and walked around to the other side of the bad and sat next to Charlie. Signal found.

"Do you remember where we were up to on Saturday?" Charlie asked.

"I'm pretty certain we were up to writing about Justinian the Great" Joey said as she crossed her legs and opened the word document on her laptop. "Yeah we were"

**- Flash back - Five years ago- **

**Charlie pushed Joey back on the bed and sat on top of her, their kiss deepening. **

**- End of Flash Back -**

---

"Okay Kirsty, you are 8 centimetres dilated. Just sit back and relax as much as you can" Doctor Levi said as she wrote down the time and details on Kirsty's chart.

"You're doing great so far darling" Shelly kissed her daughters head.

"Won't be long until we're parent's babe" Kane grinned and kissed Kirsty's hand.

---

Forty minutes into their study session, Joey was heavily concentrating on re reading their assignment, trying to find a way to cut all the information into a 90 second speech without using all of the information they had. Charlie, on the other hand, was heavily concentrating on Joey. She had forgotten how beautiful she looked. Everything about her was perfect.

"You're so beautiful Joey" Charlie let slip.

Joey removed her eyes from the laptop and looked at Charlie.

"What?"

Charlie leaned forward and placed her hand on Joey's thigh.

"You're so beautiful" Charlie leaned in and kissed Joey on the lips, delighted when Joey kissed her back. Their kiss deepened, tongues danced around and little moans escape two the girls. Charlie's hand slid up Joey's thigh, stopping inches away from the middle of Joey's legs. Joey pulled her mouth away from Charlie's and stood up.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked, shocked that Joey had stopped.

"What's wrong? Charlie, what's right?" Joey asked. "You've treated me like shit for the past five years, we finally start to make some sort of truce on Saturday and then by Monday there you were treating me like I was nobody again and now this, you're kissing me. What's with that?"

"I'm sorry" Charlie said sitting up on the bed. "I had no choice"

"Don't! Do not sit there and say you had no choice Charlie, you very much had a choice and you made the decision to not be friends with me, to treat me like I some piece of trash" Joey yelled.

"I didn't have a choice. You know what happened; you know very well what I had to do Joey! I would have lost everything" Charlie yelled back. "Every damn thing" Charlie broke out in tears, surprising them both.

**- Flash back - Five years ago -**

**"Trust you to forget something" Elsie Buckton said as she entered the front door of her house. **

**"How many times do I have to apologise Elsie?" Ross asked as he entered the house after his wife and walked into the lounge room "I swear I left them in here" **

**"Maybe Charlie knows where they are?" Elsie suggested as she walked into the kitchen to look for the two tickets her husband had won at work for them to go see a play in Yabbie Creek. **

**"Yeah, maybe. I'll go ask her" Ross said before walking up stairs. **

**---**

**Charlie and Joey lay under the blankets, wearing only underwear, kissing and touching one another. **

**"What was that?" Joey asked as she pulled her mouth away from Charlie's. **

**"I didn't hear anything?" Charlie said before leaning down and kissing Joey again. **

**"Charlie have you seen those tickets?" Ross said as he opened his daughter's door. "CHARLIE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" **

**Charlie and Joey froze, looking over at an angry Ross standing in the door way. **

**Elsie ran up stairs after hearing her husband yelling. **

**"Oh my goodness" Elsie said and put her hand up to her mouth. "You two get dressed now!"**

**Elsie pulled her husband out of their daughter's room. **

**"I thought you said they were going to a play Charlie!!" Joey said as she jumped out of bed and quickly put her jeans and t shirt back on.**

**"That's what they said!" Charlie whispered as she put her shorts and t shirt back on. **

**- End of Flash Back -**

---

"Okay Kirsty, on the count of three, I want you to push"

Kirsty nodded.

"One, Two...Three" Doctor Levi counted.

"Aaaahh" Kirsty clenched her teeth together and pushed.

"Good girl Kirsty. Now when I say push, do so" Doctor Levi asked.

Kirsty nodded yet again.

"Push"

Kirsty pushed once again. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" Kirsty squeezed both Kane and Shelly's hand tightly.

"Argh" Kane winched in pain.

"One more push should do it Kirsty. You feeling up to it?" Doctor Levi looked up at Kirsty.

"No!" Kirsty yelled.

"Well I'm sorry darl. You're going to have to be. Push!"

Kirsty pushed hard. Stopping once she heard the sound of a baby crying fill the room.

---

Joey sat back down on the bed.

"You know how angry he was before you left Jo. He only got angrier" Charlie said as she rested her head in her hands.

**- Flash back - Five years ago -**

**Joey had left the house when Ross opened the door and told her to get out. **

**Charlie was sat on the couch, crying into her mothers arms. **

**"What on earth do you think you were doing Charlie?!" Ross asked as he paced the floor in front of his wife and twelve year old daughter. **

**"We love each other" Charlie cried. **

**"Yes, as friends Charlie. What you two were doing, it's not normal, it's not right." Ross spoke loudly. **

**"Ross" Elsie said in a warning tone. **

**"It is normal!" Charlie yelled back. **

**"It isn't normal Charlie! That sort of thing should only be done by a man and a woman, who are older than sixteen!" Ross yelled. **

**"Have you not heard of gay people Dad?" Charlie yelled once again. **

**"You are not gay, Charlie" Ross said, shaking his head. **

**"I am so. I like girls. All girls, but I like Joey the most." Charlie said crossing her arms. **

**Elsie put her arm around her daughter. Even though she was very young, Elsie knew that what Charlie was saying was right. She had always had a feeling that her little princess was gay and that didn't bother her, not one bit. **

**"You like them as friends Charlie" Ross said as he sat down next to his little girl. **

**"I don't. I like Joey in the way that you like Mum" **

**"Well, that's a phase you're going to grow out of Charlie" **

**"You're wrong" Charlie glared at her father before running up stairs. **

**- End of Flash Back -**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you once again for the lovely reviews! They honestly make my day! **

**-**

**I'm really enjoying writing this story and I'm glad I'm back on track with writing it! **

**This story has a few more twists and turns that I'm enjoying writing atm =) woo!**

**-**

**Enjoy!**

**-**

**MissToastie**

*********************************************************

**Chapter Nine : **

Charlie explained everything that had happened after Joey left the house five years ago.

"That's pretty full on" Joey smiled sympathetically at Charlie.

"Things only got worse from there"

**- Flash back - Five years ago - The day after the two girls were caught -**

**Charlie hadn't got much sleep in the few days, her father had taken her phone off of her and locked up in his safe, he didn't want his daughter to have any contact with Joey. **

**"Charlie" Ross said before knocking and entering Charlie's bedroom. "Are you awake?" **

**"I can't sleep" Charlie mumbled. **

**"I'm sorry for the way I yelled at you the other day Princess" Ross sat on the edge of Charlie's bed. **

**Charlie nodded. **

**"How about you, Ben, your Mum and I go away for the week, we can go to the city and see Kathleen" Ross smiled.**

**Charlie sat up, grinning. **

**"Really? That'd be great! I miss Kath!" **

**The next day, Charlie, her brother Ben and their parents set off in direction of the City. **

**- End of Flash back - **

"When we arrived, Dad took me shopping, to the beach and then when we got back to the hotel, he warned me that if I ever spoke to you again, he would send me to boarding school" Charlie said, looking at Joey. "I couldn't have gone to boarding school Jo. I had my life in Summer Bay, I had friends and family"

"So you gave me up instead" Joey said, nodding, taking in all the information she was just told.

"If you look it at like that, then yes. If I was sent away to boarding school, I wouldn't have been able to see you everyday. And even though I couldn't speak to you, I could still see you. I could see that you were alright"

"That I was alright? Charlie I was far from alright. My parents had died, I was living with Irene, I had no friends, no proper family. You were the only thing in my life that made me happy for such a long time Charlie. The day I started getting over you was the day that Aden moved in with Irene and I, I finally had someone I could talk to, someone that I could call a friend, someone who made me feel like I wasn't the evilest person in the world. You know what I had to put up with after what Dad did, and still, you left me"

---

"Congratulations Kirsty, you have a healthy baby boy" Doctor Levi said as she passed Kirsty her son.

"A boy?" Kane beamed and ran his finger on his sons head.

"Hey little guy" Kirsty cried. "He's so beautiful"

"He really is" Shelly smiled. "Congratulations you two"

"Thanks" Kirsty and Kane said in unison.

---

"Good on you for standing up to her" Rachel smiled at Leah after she had filled her in on what happened at Ailsa's.

"Thanks" Leah smiled back. "I am 100% against drugs. All they do is ruin peoples lives. I don't tolerate them"

"And neither you should. I'm the same, I refuse to be friends with anyone who takes drugs or sells them or does anything associated with them"

"Agreed" Leah sighed. "Belle's probably going to kick me from the group now"

"Why do you hang around them anyway, Leah? They seem like bad news" Rachel asked.

"Charlie's not." Leah paused. "She is when she's around Belle and Hayley, but when she's not; she is wonderful and sweet, kind and caring. The best friend anyone could ask for. She's just lost and confused and does all these things to try and fit in."

"Maybe if you stop hanging around Belle and Hayley, maybe Charlie will too?" Rachel suggested.

"Who would I hang out with in the mean time though?"

"Ha, thanks!" Rachel said laughing and playfully slapping Leah.

"Sorry! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Leah laughed. "Would I be able to hang out with you?"

"Hmmm" Rachel paused. "Let me think about that...of course you can! I hang with no one, it would be nice to have a friend at school" Rachel beamed.

"That's settled then. I won't be hanging with Belle and Hayley no more" Leah grinned.

"Great! Now let's get stuck into this assignment"

---

Charlie and Joey had been sitting in silence for 20 minutes now. Neither of them knowing what to say. Both soaking in what had just happened.

"I still love you, you know" Charlie said, tilting her head side ways.

Joey tilted her head to the side as well, looking at Charlie, searching her eyes.

"I still love you too" Joey whispered.

"Why can't things be simple?" Charlie sighed. "Why can't live in our own perfect world?"

Joey studied Charlie for a moment. Also asking herself the same questions that Charlie asked.

"Who says they can't be simple? Joey said, sitting up.

"My father still hates you, Joey. He would never accept us being together. It would ruin everything"

"Your father doesn't need to know. We can keep it from him. You still looking to join the academy at the end of the year?" Joey watched as Charlie nodded. "Well, all we have to do is hide us being together from him and anyone else would either tell him or wouldn't approve and then at the end of the year, we can go off to the city. I'd follow you in a heart beat if it meant we could be together."

"What and sneak around in the mean time? How would we meet up without making anyone suspicious?" Charlie asked.

"Well, we wouldn't have to sneak around at my place. Irene would be fine with it, I mean she likes you and she's fine with me being gay and Aden would be okay as well, maybe a little protective, but he'd understand" Joey smiled. "And you could tell Leah"

"I don't know, Joey" Charlie paused. "It all sounds a little risky"

"Aren't we worth taking a risk?" Joey asked.

---

Shelly left the hospital room, giving her daughter and her daughters boyfriend some alone time with their new arrival.

"So what are we going to name him?" Kane asked.

"I don't know if you had any names picked out, but I've always had this one name that I've liked" Kirsty said as she held her new born son proudly in her arms.

"And what's that?"

"Oliver" Kirsty beamed "We could call him Ollie for short"

"Oliver Philips" Kane grinned and looked at his son. "Hello Ollie"

---

Hayley and Belle were sat down at the beach tanning when Hayley's phone rang.

"Hello? Shelly Hi...Oh wow! Oh that's great! Tell Kirsty and Kane congratulations and I'll come up and see them soon. Okay. Thanks Shell, bye" Hayley hung up the phone.

"Kirsty had the bub then?" Belle asked.

"Yeah! A little boy" Hayley said placing her phone back in her jeans that lay next to her.

"That's good" Belle smiled and the two of them got back to their tanning.

---

"G'day love, where's Joey?" Irene asked when she walked in the back door.

"Around Charlie's" Aden said not looking up from the book in front of him. "With tensions between the two powers threatening renewed war, Gaius Caesar and Phraataces worked out a compromise in 1 AD. According to the agreement, Parthia undertook to withdraw its forces from Armenia and to recognize a de facto Roman protectorate there." Aden read out loud.

"What on earth are you on about?" Irene asked as she walked in from the kitchen. "Oh Noah love, sorry I didn't know you were here"

"Hey Mrs Roberts" Noah smiled "Yeah, we have to get our study on" He wove the book in front of him.

"Oh well, carry on." Irene walked off. "And if I've told you once, I've told you a million times, call me Irene for goodness sakes"

Noah and Aden both laughed. "Yeah no worries Irene" Noah said as he watched Irene walk up stairs.

---

Charlie sat on top of Joey, cuddling into her. She had decided that they were indeed worth the risk.

"This feels right" Joey smiled, she was in bliss.

"It is right" Charlie snuggled closer to Joey.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for not updating yesterday, this flu has thrown me for a six! **

**I hope to write the next chapter tomorrow and post it up for you guys =)**

**- **

**This is just a bit of a 'filler' which will lead up to more interesting things (am hoping!)**

**-**

**MissToastie**

* * *

**Chapter Ten :**

Joey arrived home shortly after 10pm, the house was in darkness, she locked the back door, put her things in her bedroom and went and knocked on Aden's door.

"You awake Ade?"

"Yeah, come in" Aden yelled through the door.

Joey opened the door, walked over to Aden's bed and hopped in beside him.

"How did your study session go?"

"We hardly got anything done"

"Why not?" Aden asked, shifting to lay on his back.

"We spoke about a few things." Joey paused "Everything that happened five years ago"

"As in, when you two got caught?" Aden asked.

"Yeah" Joey smiled, glad she had told Aden everything a few years ago.

"And"

"And we're together now" Joey grinned.

"You're what sorry?" Aden asked, not suring if he had heard right.

"We're together. We're not telling anyone other than you, Irene and Leah" Joey sounded excited. "We're going to move to the city at the end of the year"

"Right" Aden paused, taking in what he had just heard. "Well, congratulations I guess"

"Thank you" Joey turned in the bed. "I'm sleeping in here, just so you know."

Aden laughed. "Yeah, righto. Goodnight now"

"Goodnight" Joey paused. "And if you have morning glory, get rid of it before I wake up thanks" Joey laughed.

Aden kicked her before rolling over to his side. He was trying to be happy for his friend, he couldn't remember the last time Joey sounded this happy, but he had a feeling that things wouldn't last. Although he has never really known Charlie, he knew enough about her to know that this wouldn't work. His best friend will end up getting hurt and he will have to watch her suffer yet again.

---

Charlie used her phone to guide her in the dark to make sure she didn't trip over anything in the garden. She reached the back door and sent a text message. _'I'm here' _

---

Belle leaned over the table and snorted a hit of cocain for the third time, she leaned back onto the couch and watched as her friend leaned down to take his hit.

"I've missed you being in town Jase"

"You've not missed me, only the drugs" Jason laughed as he leaned back and kissed Belle.

"I've also missed this" Belle said as she pushed her hand down Jason's pants.

---

"You took your time!" Charlie whispered as the door opened.

"I'm sorry, someone went to the toilet, I had to wait for them to go back to their bedroom" Leah whispered back and allowed Charlie to step inside.

"Fair enough" Charlie whispered and followed Leah up the stairs.

"Hi Charlie" Rachel smiled as she sat on her bed.

"Hi Rachel" Charlie smiled back and looked around Rachel's bedroom, it was a very beautiful room which was lit by two lamps either side of her bed, the only messy part of the room was a couch that had been made into a bed, where Leah would be sleeping, Charlie assumed.

Leah and Charlie both walked over and sat on Rachel's bed.

"So what did you have to say?" Leah quizzed her best friend.

"Okay, what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone. Either of you" Charlie said looking between the two girls. "Promise?"

"Promise" Rachel said, nodding.

"I promise too. Now tell us!"

"Joey and I are seeing each other" Charlie grinned.

"WOW! Oh wow! That's great Charlz! Wow! How did that happen?!" Leah said as she lurched forward, hugging Charlie tightly.

"Joey as in Joey Collins?" Rachel asked, looking confused.

"That's her" Charlie beamed.

"Don't you hate each other?"

"Ah, long story. We were friends a long time ago, something happened between us, I was warned not to go near her again and yeah, long story short, we got together tonight after sorting things out" Charlie informed Rachel.

"Right" Rachel said, not really understanding. "Congratulations. I had no idea that you were into girls Charlie. I've always seen you with guys"

"I've always been into girls. My parents just don't approve" Charlie paused. "Not to mention Belle and Hayley" Charlie looked at Leah. "You can't tell them"

"I won't tell them Charlie, I already promised" Leah looked at Rachel. "And, I've decided I'm not going to hang around them anymore, they're nothing but bad news"

Charlie looked surprised.

"Whoa. I didn't expect to hear that. Good on you Leah" Charlie smiled and hugged her friend one more time.

"So, tell me what happened! You and Joey! Chop chop!" Leah said and both her and Rachel got comfy on the bed.

---

It was 6:50 in the morning, Aden had returned from the bathroom, doing as his friend asked him to do in getting rid of his 'morning glory'. Leaving his door open, He climbed back in bed and woke Joey up.

Joey coughed and stirred. "I don't feel so good" Joey croaked and coughed yet again.

Irene appeared at the door and walked in Aden's room.

"You don't sound so good girlie" She leaned down and placed the back of her hand on Joey's forehead. "You feel hot. I'll just get the thermometer"

Aden watched as Irene left his room. "You can't be sick!" He hated when Joey got sick, just like Joey hated when Aden got sick as it meant they would have no one to hang around with at school.

Irene returned and placed the thermometer in Joey's mouth, waited a few seconds for it to beep, then took it out. "Thirty Eight point seven. Hmm, no school for you today love"

Aden lay back down in bed and coughed. "I don't feel so good either"

Irene placed her hands on her hips. "Do you think I was born yesterday mate?"

Aden coughed again. "No really, I feel like shit." He placed his hand on his head. "My heads hot too"

Irene walked over and placed the thermometer in Aden's mouth, waited for the beep and took it out. "Just as I thought"

"What?" Aden asked.

"Thirty Seven. Now get out of bed and get ready for school" Irene said pulling the covers off of Aden. "And you girlie, to your bedroom please"

Joey hopped out of bed and dragged herself to her bedroom, snuggling under covers, feeling like death warmed up.

---

Charlie woke after a shocking nights sleep, having decided it was too late to leave Rachels, she slept in the made up bed with Leah, who kicked her for most of the night.

"What time is it?" Charlie asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Just after seven" Rachel said after opening her eyes to look at the clock.

"Mmm" Leah quickly turned in the bed, causing Charlie to fall onto the floor.

"Argh!" Charlie said after landing with a thud. "Leah You would have to be THE WORST person to share a bed with" Charlie groaned.

Rachel sat up laughing.

Charlie pulled herself up. "I better get home and get ready" She said stretching. "I'll see you two at school"

Rachel stood up and walked Charlie out, leaving a semi-sleeping Leah on the couch.

---

It was 8:15am when Joey woke again.

"Aden are you still here?" Joey croaked out, coughing after she did.

A few seconds later Aden appeared at the door.

"Can you tell Charlie I'm sick please? And that I'm out of credit"

"Sure thing" Aden smiled. "Get better soon"

---

Charlie entered school at a quarter to nine, walking to her locker she was greeted by Rachel and Leah.

"Hello" Charlie smiled "Have either of you two seen Hayley or Belle?"

"According to Noah, Belle isn't coming to school because she's staying at Jasons and Hayley took the day off to go see Kirsty and her baby up the hospital"

"Kirsty had the baby then?" Charlie asked as she opened her locker. Happy that neither Hayley or Belle would be at school today.

"Yeah a little boy named Oliver"

Aden walked up to his locker and was greeted by Noah.

"G'day mate. Where's your mrs?"

"Not here today."

"That's good, I need someone to hang with today" Aden shut his locker, turned around to see Charlie standing by hers talking to Rachel and Leah, he walked up to Charlie. "Joey's not here today, she's crook"

"Oh" Charlie's face fell. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, fine. She's just got a cold" Aden said coldly.

The bell rang and everyone made their way to class, Charlie wondered why Aden was acting so coldly toward her, surely he would be happy for her and Joey?.

---

Joey sat in the lounge room in front of the TV eating soup, she looked up at the clock, 2:55, school would be out in five minutes. It's a 20 minute walk from the school to Irene's house, she was hoping that when Aden came home, Charlie would be there not long after.

---

The school bell rang and Aden walked out of his last class, grabbed his things from his locker and walked with Noah out of the building.

"Aden, can we have a chat please?"

Aden turned around to Charlie then back to Noah. "I'll come around after I call in home"

"No worries, Seeya Charlz" Noah said before walking off.

"What's your problem with me?" Charlie asked Aden once he had turned back to face her.

"Are you kidding?" Aden laughed. "Have you forgotten the way you've treated Joey and myself over the past few years?"

Charlie looked down at her feet then back up to Aden. "I'm sorry about all that."

"Yeah so I've heard" Aden shook his head. "I can't forgive you when I know you're going to hurt Joey again"

"I am not going to hurt her again, I love her"

"You will Charlie and I'll be left to pick up the pieces because she was silly enough to forgive you and trust you" And with that Aden walked away.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for the amazing reviews! I really enjoy reading them! **

**--**

** filibuster44 - Thank you heaps =) Am making sure I drink plenty of fluids! Hope my antibiotics kick in soon!**

**--**

**I'd just like to plug this amazing non-profit organisation that I feel so strongly about ; **

**"To Write Love On Her Arms" **

**Tomorrow (13th November) is "To Write Love On Her Arms" day. **

**Help raise awareness about self-harm, depression, drug abuse and suicide by writing 'LOVE' on your arm =).**

**'TWLOHA' exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.**

**If you wish, you can find out more information by visiting www. TWLOHA .com  
**

** Please, spread the word! **

**--**

**MissToastie**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven :**

Joey woke feeling happy, yesterday her cold started to leave and today it had officially packed its bags and left her body. Jumping out of bed, she ran to wake Aden.

"Guess who's coming to school today?" Joey grinned as she jumped up and down on Aden's bed.

"Really?" Aden asked as he opened one eye, he watched as Joey nodded as she jumped. "That's great! I've missed you at school yesterday!" Aden pulled Joey's legs from under her.

"ARGH" Joey screamed as she fell on to her bottom. "That was mean!"

"I am mean" Aden grinned as he jumped out of bed. "C'mon, I've missed out before school runs" Aden picked Joey up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, throwing her down on the bed. "Get your runners on and let's go!"

"Yeah alright, hold your horses!"

---

Charlie sat at the kitchen table eating her breakfast whilst reading the morning paper; her father was going to be busy for the rest of the week as apparently there were several drug rings going on in Summer Bay at the moment. The moment Ross had told Charlie about the drug rings she instantly thought of what Belle had told her about Jason Gannon being back in town, although Jason was only a user, his older brother Michael was a known dealer. Charlie told her father what she knew about the youngest Gannon brother being in town and the possibility that Michael could be too and hoped it helped him with his case; Ross had thanked his little girl and commented on how she will make the best detective one day.

Charlie's phone vibrating in front of her on the table interrupted her morning read. She picked up the phone and grinned.

**'No more sickness! I shall be at school today. Can't wait to see you. x' **

Charlie continued to grin as she replied to her girlfriend.

**'Thats so good 2 hear Jo! Lookin 4wrd 2 seein' ur gorgeous face. xxx"**

Standing up and placing her dishes in the sink, she grabbed her bag and headed to school. Hoping that just like yesterday, both Hayley and Belle wouldn't be at school.

---

"Hey mate" Noah said greeting Aden and Joey as they entered the school. "Nice to see you feeling better Joey"

"Thanks Noah" Joey smiled

"How's Hayley?" Aden asked as he walked up to his locker.

"Home, sick. Her brother and his girlfriend are visiting at the moment, so they're taking care of her"

"Is Will still with Gypsy?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, they've two kids now, Lily and Adam"

"I used to have a massive crush on Gypsy when I was in year seven. I swore she was the hottest senior around."

"Now who do you thinks' the hottest senior?"

Joey turned around to see her girlfriend standing behind her. A smile grew largely on both of their faces.

"Definitely Belle Taylor" Joey joked and leaned forward to kiss Charlie.

"Wow, fancy that! She thinks the same about you. I tell you what, if that's not a match made in heaven then I don't know what is!" Charlie laughed and kissed her girlfriend for the 2nd time. She was glad she had told Joey that she had decided to be strong and no longer hang out with Belle and Hayley.

"Definitely a match made in heaven." Noah laughed, although he missed his girlfriend and hated her being sick, he was glad she wasn't at school, he had an opportunity to make new friends.

Leah and Rachel walked over to the group of four and said their hellos.

"Aww...you two are the cutest couple in history" Leah grinned as Charlie stood behind Joey with her arms around her waist.

"I'm so glad you two are together, it's really nice to see" Rachel smiled. She was really enjoying making new friends.

"Yeah good on ya's for taking a stand" Noah joined in.

Aden stood looking at his watch, waiting for the bell to go. There was no way he was going to join in with his mates, not until his gut feeling that Charlie was going to hurt Joey left.

The bell rang and everyone walked to class. They entered the history room, saying hello to Sally as they took their seats.

"Uhm wow" Sally said as she turned around to see Rachel, Leah, Charlie, Joey, Aden and Noah all sitting together. "Now that's what I call a massive improvement" Sally smiled.

"It's time for new changes" Charlie announced.

"New changes are good" Sally smiled and looked at the door as Kane walked in.

"Sorry I'm late miss. Ollie kept us up all night" Kane said before he took to his usual seat.

"That's fine Kane" Sally shuffled with some papers on her desk before she started with today's lesson.

---

The new and improved gang walked sat together in Ailsa's drinking either their milkshakes or their juices.

"How good is that, long weekend coming up!" Aden cheered. In their final class of the day, they got a visit from Mr Bartlett letting them know that there was no school tomorrow.

"Best news I've heard all day" Leah grinned. "So what are we going to do now?"

"Well Noah and I already decided that we are going to finish our assignment then have a boys night"

"Well that's settled then isn't it" Rachel said and received confused looks from the other 3 females sat at the table. "We're having a girl's night!"

"That sounds great!" Charlie beamed as she held her girlfriends hand under the table; most of her Friday nights was spent with Belle and Hayley getting drunk and going to some party where Belle would leave with some strange guy, Hayley would depart without letting anyone know which left Charlie to walk home drunk and alone.

They finished their drinks and continued on with their conversation.

---

Charlie and Joey held each others hand and walked along the beach. Rachel had to go home to look after her younger brother and sister and Leah had offered to go back with her so they could finish their assignment. Noah had gone home to see to his girlfriend and Aden was walking ahead of the girls, listening to his walkman.

"Do you have to go?" Charlie pouted and pulled Joey in closer to her.

"Yes boo, a promise is a promise" Joey said as she leaned forward and rubbed her nose against Charlie's.

"He'll get over it though" Charlie said quickly kissing Joey on the lips.

"You don't know what Ade is like with his computer games. I promised him a game after school, I can't go back on the promise" Joey leaned forward and stole another quick kiss from Charlie.

"How geeky" Charlie pouted yet again.

"Hey! I like games too. Does that make me geeky?"

"Yes it does" Charlie leaned closer to Joey. "But you're a hot geek" She said before kissing Joey one more time.

"That's okay then" Joey laughed. "I promise to text you later okay?"

"Alright, sounds good" Charlie smiled and the two of them shared a kiss. Charlie sat down on the sand and watched as Joey raced up to Aden and flung herself onto his back, she laughed as they chased one another off of the beach.

---

Hayley walked down stairs and into the lounge room, stopping to look at herself in the mirror on the way.

"What do you think about green eyes?" Hayley asked in a croaky voice.

Noah looked up from the magazine he was reading to his girlfriend standing in front of the mirror. "I don't really know"

"I think I would look better with green eyes"

"Okay then" Noah shook his head and continued to read his magazine.

"That's it?" Hayley looked in the mirror at her boyfriend. "All you have to say is "Okay Then"?"

"Well what do you want me to say Haylz?"

"I don't know Noah! I just want more than an "Okay then"" Hayley said as she pulled a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose.

"Alright. I like your eyes the way they are"

"Hmm" Hayley took one last look in the mirror before turning around. "I think I'm going to get green contact lenses. Belle said they'd look tops"

"That'd be right" Noah mumbled and once again continued on reading his magazine.

"What would be right?" Hayley asked, placing her hand on her hip.

"I don't even know why you bother to ask my opinion" Noah stood up and went to walk away.

"I bother to ask your opinion Noah because you're my boyfriend and I care about your opinion" Hayley stood up and walked after him.

"It's a waste of time though Hayley" Noah turned around as her reached the bottom of the stairs. "Whatever I say you never agree on, oh wait, sorry, you may agree on that but Belle doesn't"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Every single decision in your life is made by Belle!" Noah raised his voice a little. "You like the red dress but Belle likes the blue dress, so you go buy the blue dress. You feel like wearing your hair up but Belle says that today, it would look better down. So what do you do? You pull your hair out and you wear it down, just like Belle says. You change your perfume to suit her, you don't watch a damn TV show because Belle wouldn't approve! You don't wear the colour green because the colour makes Belle feel sick and you stopped eating your favourite food because Belle doesn't approve of anybody eating chicken!"

"It is not like that Noah!" Hayley croaked.

"It so is Hayley! Belle says jump and you say how high! She runs rings around you" Noah paused. "She's a horrible person Haylz and ever since you started hanging out with her, you've become one too" Noah said before he turned around and walked up stairs, reaching his room he slammed the door.

---

Charlie stood at the front door looking around in her school bag for the house keys, hearing the jingle of keys, she pulled them out and realised they were for the back door, placing the few items she took out back in the bag, she walked around to the back of the house, stopping when she saw someone sitting on the back steps.

"Hello Charlie"


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you for the reviews! I know it has yet again been a while since I updated, I'm sorry but I was crook as for just over two weeks,**

**hope to update the next chapter within the next few days! **

**-**

**AH Sorry for this being sent again, I didn't know cut down words :| I had "N o o o o o o o o " and yeah :| had to change it haha! Arseholes!  
**

**-  
**

**MissToastie**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve : **

"Go go go go go go go go go go go GO!!" Joey yelled at Yoshi on the TV. "No no no no!" Joey said as her player lost the race

"What can I say?" Aden laughed. "Bowser and I just make a good team" He grinned.

"Bowser cheats!" Joey said throwing her remote on the floor and folding her arms over her chest.

"How can a Mario character cheat?" Aden asked through his laughter.

"Are you kidding me? With help from you, you big oomph!" Joey glared. "How many times can it be allowed for Bowser to run my poor little Yoshi over?"

"Well next time don't pick Yoshi!" Aden said as he turned the TV off. They had this same old fight every time. He knew what was coming next.

"But I pick Yoshi every time! I can't not pick him!" Both teenagers said at the same time. Aden in a mimicking voice.

"Shuddup Aden!" Joey said throwing a pillow in his direction.

"If anything gets broken girlie, you're paying for it!" Irene said as she walked in the back door.

"Ha ha, you got told!" Aden taunted.

Joey replied by sticking her middle finger up.

"Now now, there's no need for that Josephine" Aden said in a high pitched voice.

"I'll give you Josephine in a minute" Joey mumbled and glared yet again.

"Right, you two go get ready thanks"

"Ready for what?" Aden asked.

"It's Glenda's birthday and she asked if the three of us would like to go in for a meal" Irene said referring to her next door neighbour.

"Oh yay" Aden said sarcastically.

"Yippee" Joey said twirling her finger around in the air.

"Whether you both like it or not you're coming in next door, even if it's just to wish Glenda a happy birthday and for the meal. I will be staying afterwards but you two don't have to"

"She'll force us to say"

"She has these powers where she can force you to do anything" Joey nodded.

"I will say you have to get home to bed for school in the morning. Now chop chop, I want you two to look presentable" Irene said nodding her head toward the bathroom door.

---

"What are you doing here?" Charlie asked as she walked passed the unwanted guest and unlocked the door.

"I just called around to say I missed ya" Grant said standing up behind Charlie. "I'm in town for a few days, thought we'd have a big catch up" He spun Charlie around. "Like old times"

"Back of Grant" Charlie said shaking Grant's grasp off of and entering the house.

"Place hasn't changed much." Grant said as he entered the house behind Charlie. "Not one for decorating then?"

"What do you want Grant?" Charlie asked as she threw her school bag on the floor.

"You've never been one for the small talk have you Charlzy" Grant laughed and pulled a chair out from under the kitchen table.

"No, can't say I have" Charlie watched as Grant sat down. "I didn't think you were going to stay here long"

"Thought wrong hey sweets" Grant winked. "I'll have a cold beer thanks toots"

---

"That food was awful" Aden said as he opened the back door and walked straight to the fridge.

"Tell me about it" Joey walked passed Aden and into the bedroom. "Whatever you're having get me some too" She sung out from her bedroom.

---

"How's school treating you?" Grant asked.

"Fine thanks" Charlie mumbled, wondering to herself why she hadn't kicked Grant out hours ago.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"A girlfriend actually" Charlie said looking up.

Grant laughed. "Ah you're back on the "I'm a lesbian" train again. Was wondering when that was going to stop by again"

"You're not funny" Charlie said raising her eyebrow at Grant.

"Yeah I am" Grant smiled. "So, what's the girl's name?"

"Joey"

Grant laughed yet again. "Joey as in the chick you were into back when we were together?"

"That'd be the one"

"Fuck, some things do change. How long you been together for?"

"Since Tuesday"

"Two days?" Grant chuckled. "That's nothing"

"It's something" Charlie glared at Grant.

---

Joey and Aden sat on the couch eating pizza that Aden had phoned up to get delivered after finding nothing in the fridge, they were watching Coyote Ugly as they got it free with their pizza.

"Cammie's hot" Aden said as he ate a slice of pizza.

"Mmm" Joey said as she finished eating her slice. "I prefer Rachel"

"You always prefer Rachel's"

Joey giggled as Aden was referring to the sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S and how Joey is obsessed with Jennifer Anniston's character.

"Do you like Rachel Armstrong?" Aden asked.

"She's pretty. Not my type. There's only one girl for me" Joey beamed. "Speaking of. I must text her" Joey leaned forward, paused the TV and grabbed her mobile phone.

"And you need to pause the TV for that?"

"Yes, yes I do" Joey smiled before she started to text her girlfriend.

---

She didn't know how it happened, but all it took was one swift move from Grant and now Charlie lay on her back, kissing him. His hands caressing her breasts under her shirt, she moaned at the touch.

---

30 minutes later, the movie had finished and both Aden and Joey were full on pizza.

"Good movie. Good food." Aden nodded. "Me tired"

"Go to bed then caveman" Joey mumbled as she checked her phone for the millionth time. Usually Charlie replied straight away. "Maybe she's fallen to sleep"

Aden closed his eyes. "Doubt it"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joey asked sitting up and looking at her best friend.

"Don't worry about it" Aden said as he too sat up.

"No, I will worry about it. What did you mean?" Joey challenged.

"Do you really want to know?" Aden asked.

"I really want to know"

"Alright, my honest opinion is that she's probably over at her house or some other person's house fucking them like crazy"

Joey's eyes filled with tears. "You can't see the good in her, can you?" Joey asked standing up. "She's changed Aden, she's not the girl she used to be and it would be so lovely for you to accept that and be happy for us or at least be happy for me" Joey wiped her tears and stormed off to her bedroom, slamming the door shut.

"What on earth was that about?" Irene asked as she entered the house.

"Nothing" Aden mumbled before walking off and slamming his door.

---

Charlie quickly stood up and dressed her naked body. Tears were streaming down her face as she had realised what she had just done.

"I think you should leave" Charlie said turning to Grant who was dressing himself.

"Yeah I figured as much" Grant smiled. "I'll see you around Charlzy" Grant said as he pulled up the fly on his jeans and left the house.

Charlie slipped her school dress back on and slid down to the floor, holding her knees, crying.

---

"Yes mum, I'll be okay, look I'm out the front of Charlie's now...I know, I know! Vinnie is picking me up in 20 minutes, Mum I'll be fine! Look I'm going now. I will see you when I get home...I know you have a right to worry muma. Okay I'm hanging up now, Love you" Leah hung up the phone and placed it in her pocket, walking around to the back of the house, she bumped into someone. "Oops, sorry" Leah's smile faded as she looked up to see Grant. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to see Charlie" Grant smirked before walking off.

Leah watched as he walked away before walking to the back door and banging on it.

---

Charlie stood up, wiped her face and answered the door.

"Leah...hi"

"Tell me you didn't"

"Didn't what?" Charlie asked.

"Tell me you didn't just sleep with Grant Bledcoe" Leah said raising her voice.

"Keep your voice down!" Charlie said pulling Leah inside.

---

Joey lay curled up in bed, holding onto her phone as she waited for her girlfriend to reply. She was feeling a mix of anger and hurt. Never in her 4 years of friendship had Aden made her feel like this. Why couldn't he just support her? She made sure her phone was on loud before rolling over to her side; she began to cry into her pillow before sleep took over.

---

Aden lay staring at the ceiling. What he had said had been harsh. He didn't mean to hurt Joey. But he knew he was right, his gut feeling told him so.

---

"I can't believe you cheated on Joey" Leah said shaking her head.

"I know" Charlie sniffed. "I don't know how it happened. One thing lead to another and" Charlie leaned her head down and cried.

"I thought you loved Joey"

"I do love Joey" Charlie said bringing her head up.

"I thought you said you like girls"

"I like Joey...I've always liked Joey" Charlie sighed. "I don't know. I'm confused"

"You're confused so you sleep with a guy whilst you still have a girlfriend, I see how that works"

"You're disappointed in me"

"You're damn right I'm disappointed in you Charlie" Leah said turning to her friend. "I actually thought you loved her"

"I do. It's why I'm not going to tell her. Why hurt her over some stupid mistake that I will never ever make again"

"You expect me to keep this from her?" Leah laughed. "You've got to be kidding Charlie"

"I'm not. Please Leah" Charlie said placing her hand on her best friends arm. "It was a mistake. I feel horrible for cheating on her. But I can't lose her. I love her too much. Please, just keep it between you and me"

Leah looked at Charlie. "Okay. I will keep it to myself, only because I don't want to be the one to hurt Joey. But I don't agree with what you're doing Charlie. You know it's going to come back and bite you on the arse, don't you?"

"It won't" Charlie smiled. "I'll make sure it doesn't"


	13. Chapter 13

**Cheers for the reviews guys! I love reading them! **

**-**

**Haha, so I, um, I take it you all approved of what Charlie did? **

**-**

**I've changed my idea of where to take this story so many times it's unbelievable! I can't believe I've had so many**

**ideas for this and yet am stuck on ideas for where to take 'You Found Me'. **

**-**

**Enjoyyyyy! **

**-**

**MissToastie**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen :**

Joey stood in front of the bathroom mirror; she had just finished brushing her teeth and was now ready to leave the house. Walking to her bedroom, she grabbed her phone and shoved it her pocket, taking some cash from her bag she put that in her other pocket and walked out into the living room.

Irene was stood in the kitchen sipping her coffee, she looked at her watch. "Joey where are you going? It's 8 in the morning!"

"I'm going to see Charlie" Joey smiled as she reached the front door; she looked over at Aden's door as it opened and glared at her best friend.

"What about your morning cartoons with Aden?" Irene asked, unaware that Aden was standing at his door.

"Stuff Aden" Joey said with a glare to Aden before walking out the door.

Aden hung his head and walked back in his room.

---

Charlie finished making two cups of coffee before walking into the lounge room.

"I don't know how you drink black coffee" Charlie said as she handed the cup to her friend.

"It's the only coffee I will drink in the morning" Leah smiled at Charlie as she took the cup from her and watched her sit in front of her. "How are you today?"

Charlie stared into her coffee, blowing it a few times before taking a sip. "Horrible" Charlie sighed. "Guilty"

Leah nodded and took a sip from her coffee.

"I honestly don't know what happened, one minute we were just talking"

"And the next you had your legs open for him" Leah finished Charlie's sentence.

"If you put it that way" Charlie mumbled.

"Well it's how it works Charlie" Leah took a mouthful of her coffee.

"I know" Charlie lay back on the couch. "I know"

---

"Hello Bellesy"

"Grant! Hello!" Belle stood up from the couch and hugged Grant. "It's been too long!"

"A few days?" Grant said with a laugh as he sat down on the couch, patting the seat next to him for Belle to sit.

"That's too long when I know that you're in town. I should be seeing you every day Mr" Belle smiled as she curled up on the couch.

"Look's like you've been too busy to do that anyway" Grant said as he looked at the mess on the table in front of him. Syringes, broken straws and what looked like white powder traces on the black coffee table. "I've been busy myself, well at least last night"

"Who was she?"

"Charlie" Grant grinned, pleased with himself.

"I knew it wouldn't take much for you two to get back together" Belle said as she sat up.

"Oh where not back together, she's still with her girlfriend, was just a one nighter"

"Girlfriend? Charlie's not gay Grant, she must of used that to try and not sleep with you" Belle laughed.

"She seemed pretty serious. She said that she and Joey had been dating since Tuesday" Grant said as he leaned forward and moved a few things around on the table.

"Charlie's dating Joey?" Belle stared at Grant in disbelief.

"That she is" Grant looked back at Belle "You got any stuff that isn't used?"

"Uh, Jase has gone to get some" Belle said as she curled back on the couch, trying to take in what she had just been told.

---

Charlie stood up and walked to the door as the doorbell went for the second time.

"Joey" Charlie smiled, hiding behind half the door.

"Hey babe" Joey grinned. "You going to let me come in or what?"

Charlie moved back from the door. "Of course"

Joey entered her girlfriend's house and wrapped her arms around Charlie's waist; she pulled her in for a kiss.

"It's nice to see you" Charlie said as their lips parted.

"It's nice to see you too" Joey smiled as she and Charlie held hands and walked further into the house. "I'm sorry for coming over unannounced; I just needed to get out of the house. Oh hello Leah" Joey smiled when she saw Charlie's best friend sat on the couch.

"Hey Joey" Leah smiled.

"How come you needed to get out of the house?" Charlie asked as she walked over and joined Leah on the couch; Joey followed after her and sat next to her.

"Aden and I had a fight" Joey said with a sigh.

"What? You and Aden? You don't seem like the type to fight!" Leah said a little too loudly.

"Mmm. We never used to be" Joey pushed herself back on the couch and lay down.

Charlie's face fell as her girlfriend was lying in the exact spot where she had cheated on her the night before.

"You okay babe?" Joey asked as she saw the look on Charlie's face.

"Uh yeah, yeah, I'm fine" Charlie forced a smile. "So what did you two fight about?"

"It must have been pretty big if you two still aren't talking" Leah commented.

"It was about you" Joey said looking at her girlfriend.

"Me? What about me? Joey I don't want you two to fight because of me"

"You don't want to know what he said, it wasn't very nice" Joey reached out and held Charlie's hand in hers.

"No, please tell me" Charlie squeezed Joey's hand.

"Okay, well I was waiting for you to text me back last night ,which, by the way you still haven't" Joey grinned and poked Charlie in her side. "And I said that you'd probably had fallen asleep and he said that he doubted it and I asked him what he meant by that and" Joey paused and took a deep breath. "You were probably fucking someone else"

Leah choked on her coffee that she was drinking, she leaned forward and place the cup on the table and continued to cough.

"Leah are you okay?" Joey asked as she stood up and stood next to Leah and patted her on the back.

"I'm fine, thanks Joey" Leah said as she stopped choking, she looked at Charlie who was staring at the ground with a guilty look on her face. "I'm going to get going, let you two have a talk"

"Do we have something to talk about?" Joey asked with a confused look on her face, looking between Charlie and Leah.

Charlie glared at Leah as she stood in front of her.

"Uh no, no no. I just meant in general" Leah smiled. "I'll see myself out"

---

"Are you seriously not coming?" Belle spoke into the phone.

"Seriously. I'm sorry Belle, but Noah and I need a night in by ourselves, Jude and Shawna have gone to the city until Monday and plus I'm still not feeling that well"

"Okay" Belle nodded and stared at the house in front of her.

"I'm sure Charlie will go with you, just I don't know, threaten to break her cads or something" Hayley said with a laugh which was soon followed by a cough.

Belle smirked. "I've got better things to threaten her with, get well soon Haylz" Belle said as she ended the phone call and walked across the road to the house she had been staring at.

---

Charlie was sat at her kitchen table texting her girlfriend who had left only 20 minutes ago.

**'I think I miss u more Miss Collins x" **

Charlie smiled and sent the message; she took a bite of her sandwich.

---

Joey entered her bedroom via her open window as she didn't want to see or talk to anyone that could be home. She grinned at the message she had received as she lay down on her bed.

**'Trust me Buckton; it is I that misses you more xxxx" **

Joey sent the message and placed the phone next to her.

"Jinkers" Joey sang out. "Puss puss"

A few moments later Joey was greeted by the meow and purr from her cat who jumped up on the bed.

"Hey baby girl" Joey said as she scratched Jinkers under the chin.

---

Charlie placed her sandwich back on the plate and walked up the hallway to the front door.

"Belle, hey" Charlie's face dropped as she saw Belle standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey Charlzy, mind if I come in?"

"Ah, sure" Charlie moved back from the door and allowed Belle to enter the house.

"I was just talking to Haylz, she can't come to Jason's party tonight, something about being sick and spending time with Noah" Belle said as she walked through the Buckton house and sat on the couch. She grinned as she thought back to when Grant had told her that the couch was where they had sex.

"She's still sick? That's not good" Charlie sat on a single lounge chair across from Belle.

"Indeed not" Belle sat back on the couch and crossed her legs. "I spoke to Grant earlier" Belle looked up at Charlie.

"Oh." Charlie looked back at Belle.

"So you two did the big dirty right here on this couch hey" Belle laughed.

Charlie looked down at her hands. "He told you about that?"

"He also told me about you and Joey" Belle smirked.

---

Joey walked around her room trying to put together the perfect out fit for tonight as it was going to be Charlie and her's first date.

"What do you think of this Jinkers?" Joey asked as she held up a pair of black jeans.

Jinkers looked up at the jeans and continued to purr.

"I'll take that as a yes" Joey smiled and placed the jeans on her bed.

---

"So when were you going to tell me you've jumped to the other side?"

"I don't know" Charlie mumbled.

"Are you that desperate to go out with Joey Collins, Charlie?" Belle asked. "I mean, she's Joey Collins for christ sake"

"Joey's a nice person Belle" Charlie glared at Belle.

"So that means you have to jump her bones?" Belle laughed. "What does daddy Buckton think of this?"

Charlie looked back down at her hands.

"Ah...Daddy Buckton has no idea that his perfect little princess is screwing girls" Belle let a small laugh and clapped her hands together "I wonder how he would feel if he found out"

"You can't tell him Belle"

"Aww...why not princess?" Belle smirked. "Does your daddy not like the idea of you being a carpet muncher?" Belle taunted.

---

"What about this shirt?" Joey said as she showed Jinkers a long sleeved gray shirt.

Jinkers sat up and licked her paw.

"I will take that as no then" Joey turned around and placed the shirt back in the drawer and pulled out a white singlet. "How about this and I don't know, a black jacket or something?"

Jinkers looked back at her owner and meowed.

Joey grinned and placed the singlet on the bed with her jeans. "I swear you only do things like this when no one else is around." Joey pushed her cat on its side and stroked her stomach.

"What is taking this woman so long to reply" Joey asked as she grabbed her phone and checked to make sure she hadn't received any new messages. "Maybe I should phone her?" Joey said looking at Jinkers who rolled around on her back. "Well, I'm going to phone her with or without your input miss" Joey smiled and began to phone Charlie.

---

"Belle, I'm being serious, you can't tell him" Charlie said looking at Belle, she heard her phone starting to ring from her pocket, she pulled it out and looked as Joey's name flashed on the screen.

"You gonna get that?"

Charlie waited as the phone stopped ringing. "I'll phone them back later"

---

"She didn't answer" Joey sat on her bed and dialled Charlie's number again.

---

"So what are you wearing tonight?" Belle asked.

"Tonight?"

"To Jason's party" Belle smiled.

"I'm not going to Jason's party. I have other plans"

"With your 'girlfriend'?" Belle rolled her eyes.

"Yes, actually" Charlie looked at her phone as it started to ring again.

"Clingy little one isn't she?" Belle said looking at the phone.

"She's not clingy" Charlie said as she hung up on Joey's call.

---

**'Charlie here, can't come to the phone right now, probably doing more important things like staring at a brick wall. Leave a message and maybe I'll get back to you. Mwah' **

Joey smiled at Charlie's voice mail and waited for the beep.

"So it's obvious that I miss you more considering you didn't text me back Buckton" Joey laughed. "Give me a call or text when you can. Love you babe" Joey placed her phone next to her and looked at her wardrobe. "Jacket hunting time"

---

"I plan to wear a short red dress and black boots with my hair down, so I'd appreciate you not wearing anything like that" Belle said standing up.

"I already told you Belle, I'm not coming to the party." Charlie stood up.

"Here's the thing Charlie, you are coming to the party" Belle smiled. "Otherwise, I will get your daddy on the phone and tell him what his little girl has been, sorry, WHO she has been doing since he's been away" Belle folded her arms.

"You don't have his number"

"He gave it to me a few months ago, when we had that sleep over and you were sick and he was all worried about you so he left me with his number to contact him" Belle walked toward the front door. "I'll pick you up in two hours and sorry, no loser girlfriends invited" Belle said as she slammed the door behind her.

---

Joey was stood in front of her bedroom mirror; she was wearing her black jeans and jacket with her white singlet underneath. Her hair was straightened and she was wearing eye make-up. Charlie was due at her doorstep in 15 minutes time.

---

Charlie applied the finishing touches to her make-up and took one last look at herself; she was wearing a black dress with a black coat over the top, complete with a pair of black stilettos and her hair up in a bun. She grabbed her purse and walked down stairs; she sat at the kitchen table and began to send a text message. She looked at the text one last time before hitting send. She sighed and left the house.

---

Joey was sat on her bed when her phone vibrated. She reached over and grabbed it from her bedside table, grinning when she saw that it was Charlie who had sent her message.

**'I'm so sorry babe but I have to cancel tonight, Dad came back a few nights early and is really keen to have "a quiet night in with his princess" as he put it. I'm so so sorry. I really wanted to see you. Make it up to you, I promise xxx I love you baby'**

Joey frowned as she read the message and began to reply.

**'I won't say I'm not disappointed but I do understand. Have a good night with your dad! Phone me tomorrow? I love you so much babe, I'm so happy we are together. Nothing can tear us apart XXXXXX'**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm glad you are all still reading this regardless of how Charlie is in this story haha, means a lot =) **

**-**

**Thank you for the reviews as always, I always like hearing what you think of my stories, but even more so when I'm writing ones like this**

**where the characters are...nastier (to put it lightly).**

**-**

**Won't be able to update until Thursday maybe even Friday, I'm super busy tomorrow/tomorrow night and have to study for a test on Friday! fail! ..**

**-**

**Thank you to '1818' who gave me an idea for this chapter! Totally appreciate it!! **

**-**

**MissToastie**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen :**

Aden arrived home at 7pm after spending the afternoon with Noah finishing their history assignment that was due on Monday. He was quite exhausted having managed to get next to no sleep as he was awake all night worrying about Joey. Their fight last night was the first fight the two best friends had ever had in the four years of knowing each other.

"So did you and Noah finish your assignment?" Irene asked looking away from the TV as Aden sat down next to her on the couch.

"Yeah we did" Aden grabbed the pillow out from behind him and placed it on his lap "Feel sorry for Noah though, I could barely pay attention to anything"

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah" Aden sighed.

"And would this something be the fight that you and Joey had last night?" Irene asked as she switched the TV off.

Aden nodded.

"Don't suppose you want to tell me what happened? Although I do have a pretty good guess to what it was about?"

"And what's that?" Aden asked looking at Irene.

"Well, the only thing I could think of is that you don't like that Joey is dating Charlie, am I right?" Irene watched as Aden once again nodded. "Love, I know you're protective of her and that you love and care for her but you can't tell her who she can and can't date"

"I didn't tell her she couldn't date Charlie" Aden paused. "I just, I don't know, I don't trust her Irene, She's hurt Joey too much in the past, I hate seeing her hurt."

"Have you stopped to think that you're hurting her at the moment?" Irene raised her eyebrow as Aden looked at her. "All she wants is for her best friend in the whole wide world to be there for her and be happy for her, put aside all your thoughts about Charlie and be a good friend to Joey, and if things happen to not work out between the pair, then you be there for Joey when she will need you the most. The only relationship you can protect Joey getting hurt is the one that you have with her and right now mate, you're not doing a crash hot job"

Aden sighed heavily and leaned forward. "You're right, I know you're right, but, Joey isn't going to talk to me now, is she?"

"I think she will if you make it up to her and apologise to her" Irene smiled and placed her hand on Aden's shoulder. "She's in her room"

"Thanks Irene" Aden stood up and hugged Irene "You're amazing"

"Good luck love" Irene said as she ran her hand up Aden's back.

---

Charlie stood out the front of the Gannon residence waiting for the door to be answered; she had been knocking for the last five minutes.

"Y'know, they probably can't hear you, since when has Jason had a party without music blasting?"

Charlie closed her eyes and leaned in to the door.

"Here, let me get that for you" Grant said as stood behind Charlie and turned the knob on the door.

Charlie pushed the door open and entered the loud household without even looking at Grant.

"Thank you Grant" Grant said as he entered the house and closed the door. "Oh you're welcome Charlie, don't mention it" Grant rolled his eyes and watched Charlie walk across the house.

"Grant" Belle said as she and Jason walked out from one of the rooms.

"Belle" Grant smiled. "Hey Jase, party seems wild"

"As a Gannon party would" Jason winked "Charlie looks pretty good tonight"

"Yes, she does. Thank you Belle for convincing her to come" Grant said as he placed his arm around Belle.

"A little threat goes a long way" Belle said before taking a mouthful of her drink.

---

Joey was sat on her bed reading a book and listening to soft music when she heard a knock at her door.

"Come in" Joey said, assuming it was Irene.

The door opened and Aden stepped inside.

"What do you want?" Joey asked coldly.

"I want to apologise" Aden said as closed the door behind him "I was completely out of line last night and I shouldn't have said that about Charlie, I'm sorry"

"Why did you say it?" Joey asked.

"I don't know" Aden placed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground "I just don't want you to get hurt" Aden looked up at Joey "I guess I failed at that"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "You hurt me"

"I know" Aden looked back at the ground

"Charlie's not like that anymore"

Aden looked up and looked Joey in the eye.

"She wouldn't hurt me Ade, She told me she loves me and she's told people about us, you've seen that at school, she's not afraid to be with me" Joey beamed.

"Are you happy?" Aden asked.

"Yes, I am happy" Joey smiled. "I would be happier if my best friend stopped being a jerk and accepted my girlfriend and I are together"

"I accept it" Aden smiled. "I hate not talking to you Joey, I felt lost all day because I hadn't spoke to you"

"I hate not talking to you either Aden" Joey crawled out of bed and stood in front of Aden "So let's not fight ever again and just forget everything that happened last night" Joey said opening her arms.

"Sounds like a brilliant plan to me" Aden grinned and stepped forward to hug his best friend. "I love you Josephine"

"You call me that again Aden Jefferies and I will be forced to kill you" Joey mumbled into Aden's shoulder as they continued to hug.

---

"Well hello there Charlie Buckton"

Charlie turned around and sighed.

"Now that's the best welcome I've had all night" Michael Gannon laughed.

"Hello Michael" Charlie forced a smile.

"You've certainly grown up" Michael looked down at Charlie's chest. "And a little out since I last saw you"

Charlie pulled he coat over her chest. "And you haven't grown up since I last saw you, still the same old perverted drug addict"

"A leopard never changes his spots" Michael grinned and stepped forward "So you and Bledcoe back together?"

"No" Charlie said leaning back against the wall.

"You still wanting to be a cop?" Michael asked as he too leaned back against the wall.

"Yes"

"I remember that you used to be chattier than this" Michael nodded. "It saddens me that you aren't talking as much as usual"

"Aww" Charlie rolled her eyes.

Michael winked at Belle who walked over to them.

"Charlzy, can you do me a favour?" Belle said as she whispered in Charlie's ear. "Can you please do my zip up? Jason was being an arse and unzipped it, I can't do it up myself" Belle said as she turned around.

Charlie sighed and placed her drink on the table and started to zip Belle's dress.

Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out two tablets and slipped them into Charlie's drinking; grinning as he watched them dissolve.

"There we go" Charlie said as she finished zipping Belle's dress.

"Thanks Charlie, you're the best" Belle said leaning in and hugging Charlie, smiling at Michael as she did.

"C'mon girls, the parties just about to start" Michael grabbed Charlie's drink and passed it to her as he walked off to the dance floor.

"I didn't think he was going to be in town Belle"

"Really? C'mon Charlz, wherever one Gannon brother is the other isn't too far away" Belle pointed to Charlie's drink. "Just get that into you, you'll be right"

"Right, but I'm not drinking much" Charlie said as she sculled the rest of her drink and followed Belle to the dance floor.

---

It had been two hours since Joey and Aden made up, they decided to go and get some chips from the local take away shop and eat them as they walked along the beach.

"How come you're so dressed up by the way?" Aden asked as he looked at Joey.

"Oh" Joey looked down at what she was wearing "I was going out with Charlie tonight, first date" Joey smiled.

"Was?"

"She cancelled; her dad came back from the city a few nights early and wanted to have a night in with Charlie"

"Right" Aden nodded.

"I believe her"

"That's good Jo" Aden smiled "She's lucky she has a good father that wants to spend time with her"

"Yeah, she is" Joey grinned, happy that Aden didn't start about Charlie possibly lying. "It's such a lovely night out"

"Yeah it is hey" Aden said before eating a few chips. "These taste like shit"

"That'd be why I'm no longer eating them" Joey laughed. "The ones on top with the chicken salt tasted great though"

"I wouldn't know gobble guts" Aden poked Joey in her stomach.

"Not my fault you're a slow eater Jefferies" Joey said moving away from Aden's poking.

"Excuse me, I wasn't eating because I was busy telling you about the history assignment!" Aden said moving over to where Joey had gone and started poking her again. "I didn't want to be rude and talk and eat at the same time"

"Ah yeah right that doesn't usually stop you" Joey laughed. "We may as well feed them to the seagulls"

"Sure" Aden stopped and emptied the rest of the chips on to the sand and scrunched the paper up.

"Gully, Gully, Gully, Gully" Joey called out.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling out to the Seagulls" Joey smiled innocently. "Gully, Gully, Gully, Gully, Gully"

"Right, well I'm just going to walk away; I don't want to be associated with the screaming lunatic on the beach" Aden smiled and walked off.

"Now, Now Aden, be nice or I will get the seagulls to attack you" Joey laughed as she caught up to Aden.

---

"Detective Buckton, we just received a call about a loud party going on at the moment" Senior Constable Jones said as he knocked on Ross' office door.

"What do you want me to do about that Jones? It's hardly Detective work is it?" Ross said as he unpacked a box of files he had brought back with him from the City.

"Well, that's just it, the house is 34 Beach view road"

"That doesn't mean anything to me Jones" Ross said shoving the now empty box under his table, he was tired after a long trip back from the city, all he wanted to do was go home.

"It's a rented place, under the name of Jason Gannon"

Ross stopped what he was doing and looked at Jones. "Right, let's go. Have you called drug squad?" Ross asked as put his jacket on.

"Yeah, they're meeting us there"

---

"And this is my room" Michael said as he finished showing Charlie around.

"I don't feel so good" Charlie slurred and leaned up against the door frame.

"Oh?" Michael smiled and walked toward Charlie. "What's the matter beautiful?"

"My head hurts" Charlie closed her eyes and leaned her head forward, resting it on Michael's shoulder.

"Do you want to lie down?" Michael asked.

"Mmm"

Michael picked Charlie up and placed her on his bed.

---

"What is taking them so bloody long?" Ross hissed at Senior Constable Jones.

"There's a road block on St Andrews road, they have to go back to Ledgers Road and enter Summer Bay via Keithmore Road."

"That's going to take another 30 minutes!" Ross shrieked.

"We can go in now?" Jones suggested.

"No, we are waiting for the drug squad to get here. I'm not blowing this opportunity to get those Gannon brothers behind bars just because we didn't wait for DS to get here!" Ross said as he watched the house from the car that was hid behind the bushes.

---

"So you want to head home yet?" Aden asked as he and Joey continued to walk along the water.

"Nah not yet, I'm enjoying this, can't waste a lovely night like this by being stuck indoors" Joey smiled and looked up at the stars.

---

Twenty minutes later Charlie woke up on Michael's bed and sat up, her eyes were blurry and the room felt like it was moving from side to side.

"Hello?" Charlie called out, but there was no answer. She slipped off the bed and looked down at her dress, it was up around her hips, she shook her head and pulled the dress down and walked outside the door.

"And here you were saying you liked girls" Belle laughed as she saw Charlie walk out the room.

"What?" Charlie asked, placing her hand to her head.

"I saw Michael walk out of here a few minutes ago pulling his fly up and adjusting his pants" Belle winked at Charlie and walked off.

Charlie watched as Belle walked back down stairs. "What have I done?" Charlie asks out loud as a tear falls down her cheek.

---

"Right, four of you go the back way with Jones and you three come the front way with me" Ross pointed to the men and women. "And the rest of you spread out out here, we don't want anyone getting away"

Everyone did as Ross ordered and made their way to where they were told to go.

---

"What's with all the cop cars?" Aden asked.

Joey looked up and saw 2 cop cars and several unmarked cars with flashing lights on their dashboards.

"I don't know, let's go and find out" Joey grinned and ran forward.

"We can't get too close Jo" Aden called out as he followed after his best friend.

---

"Police, don't move!" Senior Constable Jones yelled out as he entered the back door. "Turn the music off" He ordered.

The party of roughly 30 people all stopped in their tracks as the music went silent.

"Where's Jason Gannon?" Ross asked as he entered the house.

A few people walked away and stood to one side of the room, revealing a couch where Jason, Belle and Grant sat.

"Yeah thanks guys" Jason said shaking his head.

"Search him" Ross ordered two of the DS boys. "And the two sat with him" Ross glared at Belle, shaking his head in disappointment. Belle looked away from Ross' eyes and looked at the floor.

"You two, come with me" Ross said to two DS females. "Let's search upstairs"

---

"Unmarked cars" Aden pointed out.

"Drug squad" Joey said as she sat down on a bench 10 metres away from the house.

"Jason Gannon's party was tonight, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, maybe Belle will get done" Joey smiled and watched the house for any movement.

---

"Shit, shit, shit, shit" Charlie said as she paced the room. She was panicking at the thought that she quite possibly just slept with Michael Gannon and the fact that she just heard her fathers voice coming from out in the hallway. Charlie looked over at the window, looking back at the door; she quickly ran to the window, opened it and began to climb out.

---

Ross entered the room, he ran over to the window as he saw finger tips on the edge of the window.

---

Charlie looked down and made sure she wasn't going to be busted by police officers hanging around outside, she was thankful when she saw that they were busy with other party guests who had tried to slip away without being noticed. She let go of the window and jumped to the ground, making sure that the coast was clear, she ran away from the house.

---

Ross shook his head and watched as his seventeen year old daughter ran out of sight.

"Did you see who it was Detective Buckton?"

Ross sighed. "No" Ross turned around "It's too dark" He said as he walked passed one of the DS officers.

---

Joey struggled to hold her tears in as she watched her girlfriend run away from the house.

Aden placed his hand on Joey's back for comfort.

"Let's go, I've seen enough" Joey stood up and wiped her face and began to walk home.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for taking so long guys, hectic week! Argh! **

**Totally aced my test! *does happy dance* **

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**I also am sorry for how I've written Charlie (and to a certain degree, Joey) in this story. **

**But we can't always have happy making type of stories...you know? **

**I hope it still makes for good reading haha.**

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**I will be asking a question that I'd like all of you to answer at the end of the next chapter! **

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**Enjoy =)**

**-**

**MissToastie**

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Charlie entered her house and slammed the door behind her, she ran up stairs and into her bathroom, sitting on the edge of her bath tub, she kicked off her stilettos, slipped her dress off and replaced it with her sleepwear, she pulled her hair out of the bun and allowed her brown wavy hair to fall to her shoulders. Walking out of the bathroom and into her bedroom, she made sure her door was locked before she switched on the one thing that always made her feel better; her stereo.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now._

_And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can taste is your life, 'cause sooner or later it's over, I just don't want to miss you tonight._

Charlie pulled the covers back on her bed and slid in between the sheets; she switched her lamp off, turned the music up and snuggled into her pillow as tears flowed down her cheeks.

_And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am._

_---_

"Joey!" Aden called out as he ran after his best friend. "Joey, wait up"

Joey finally slowed down; she sat on the nearest bench and rested her forehead in her hands.

Aden sat next to Joey, his heart breaking as he watched her cry. He _knew_ this would happen.

"I'm such an idiot Ade"

"No you're not" Aden soothed as he placed his hand on Joey's back.

"Joey, are you okay?"

Aden and Joey both looked up to see the concerned faces of Leah and Rachel standing in front of them.

Joey couldn't speak; she put her head back in her hands and continued to cry.

Leah watched as Aden wrapped his arms around Joey before sitting down next to her.

"What's happened?" Leah asked softly.

"How could Charlie do this to me?" Joey asked lifting her head and looking at Leah. "I thought she loved me"

"She does love you Joey" Leah placed her hand on Joey's leg "She doesn't know how it happened sweetie"

Joey let out a small laugh and shook her head.

"I think the two of you can work past this, I know for certain that Charlie regrets sleeping with Grant"

"What?" Joey whispered.

Leah moved her head back and looked from Rachel to Aden then back to Joey. "Please tell me you knew that"

"Charlie slept with Grant?"

"I thought you knew" Leah removed her hand from Joey's leg and placed it over her mouth. "I'm so sorry Joey"

"When did she sleep with him?" Joey asked as she stared at the ground; she could feel her heart breaking inside.

"Maybe you should talk to Charlie about this Joey" Rachel softly spoke up.

"When did she sleep with him?" Joey repeated her question, looking at Leah.

"Last night" Leah said with a sigh.

"Last night?" Joey laughed and closed her eyes. "So today, she acted like nothing had happened, she told me she loved me several times and planned our first date when last night she was fucking some guy" Joey shook her head. "I am so fucking stupid"

"Joey, you're not" Rachel soothed.

"I am. I actually believe Charlie Buckton had changed, that she wasn't some skank that fucked people around"

"She had me going too" Leah frowned.

"I'm going home, thanks for the information Leah" Joey said before walking away.

"I better go after her" Aden said standing up, he jogged off and caught up with Joey, he placed his arms around her shoulders and the two of them headed back to their house.

---

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere, I'm afraid that she might think of me as, plain ol' Jane told a story about a man who was too afraid to fly so he never did land._

_But tell me, did the wind sweep you off your feet? Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day, and head back to the Milky Way?_

Charlie woke at seven am to a blaring stereo. She reached for the remote that was on her bedside table and switched the music off. She crawled out of bed and made her way down to the kitchen. She wiped her eyes with her hands as she reached the bottom of the stairs, stopping in her tracks as she saw her father sitting at the table.

"We need to talk" Ross said staring blankly at his daughter.

---

"We couldn't charge her with anything, so we decided to let her spend the night in lock-up" Constable Ward said as he placed a piece of paper down on the counter. "As you are her legal guardian, you have to sign here, here and here" The Constable said as he pointed to each place that needed to be signed.

The piece of paper was signed and the man handed it back to the Constable. "Is she right to go now?"

"Yes and let's hope we don't see her here again" Constable Ward said looking over at Belle who was sat on the chairs looking ashamed.

"She won't be back here if I've got anything to do with it" Alf said firmly and turned around "Let's go"

Belle nodded and walked out of the police station.

---

"How was your night last night?" Ross asked as he placed a cup of coffee down in front of Charlie.

"Yeah it was good thanks" Charlie smiled weakly and watched as her father sat down opposite of her. "You're back in town early"

"The case was wrapped up quicker than we thought" Ross took a sip of his coffee "So what'd you get up to last night?"

"Ah" Charlie paused to think "I just had Leah and Rachel over for a few hours, watched a couple of movies, ate some junk food and shared a few laughs" Charlie smiled "It was a great night, Leah wasn't allowed to sleep over so Rachel had to go home too, I mean she could have stayed but we barely know each other, so it would have been a little awkward" She laughed and placed her hands around her coffee mug.

"You know, I would have believed that story if I hadn't seen you running away from Jason Gannon's rented property last night" Ross said coldly.

"You...you saw me?"

"You're damn right I did" Ross looked at his daughter "You have five minutes to explain to me why you were at that house party Charlotte"

---

Aden woke spooning Joey; he had held her all night as she lay sobbing.

"You awake?" Aden whispered.

"Couldn't sleep" Joey whispered back.

"How are you feeling?" Aden asked as he propped himself up on his elbow.

"Hurt" Joey paused. "I'm sorry for not believing you Aden"

"I never wanted to be right"

"I know. But you were. You were right all along and I didn't believe you" Joey turned around to look at Aden "I'm sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry about" Aden moved a strand of hair back from Joey's face "Do you want to talk about it?"

Joey smiled. "No thanks, I'm just going to go for a walk, I need to clear my head" Joey said as she hopped out of bed.

"Do you want some company?"

"I need to be by myself" Joey smiled and exited her bedroom via her window.

---

Belle sat on her couch with a million thoughts going around in her head; she looked over to Alf who was sat at the table staring at the ground.

"Can you please say something?" Belle begged.

Alf continued to stare at the ground as he stood up and walked out of the lounge room and into his bedroom. Belle curled up on the couch and began to cry.

---

"So you're telling me you went to this party because of Belle Taylor?" Ross asked, raising his voice.

Charlie had her elbows on the table and her head in her hands, she was crying. "Yes"

"I never picked you to be the type of girl to give into peer pressure Charlie." Ross shook his head "Why couldn't you say no? Stand up for yourself. I thought you were a strong headed girl, I guess I was wrong"

"So what are you going to do?" Charlie asked after several minutes of silence.

"You have one more chance Charlie, if you stuff up in the slightest way, I will have you and your belongings packed up and shipped to stay with Kathleen in the City. I refuse to allow you to ruin your life girl" Ross stood up. "I'm so disappointed with you Charlie. What would your mother think?" Ross said before walking up stairs.

---

Twenty minutes later, Charlie was showered and walking out her front door, she needed to get out of the house and was in desperate need of fresh air.

---

Joey was sat on the sand on her favourite place on the beach, staring out into the water. She looked behind her as she heard someone walking near her.

"Hey" Charlie smiled and sat down next to her girlfriend. "How are you?"

Joey studied Charlie's face; she looked in her eyes and knew she had been crying.

"I'm okay" Joey lied. "How are you?" Joey forced a smile.

"Am...Okay too" Charlie smiled and looked out at the water. Joey watched as she did.

"So how was your night with your dad?"

Charlie swallowed and continued to look out at the sea.

"It was good; we sat around watching a movie before playing scrabble until the early hours of the morning" "

"Sounds like a nice night" Joey said as she continued to study her girlfriend.

"How was your night?" Charlie asked, moving her head to look at Joey.

"It was fine, Aden and I made up" Joey began.

"That's good to hear" Charlie smiled.

"Yeah it is" Joey smiled back "And then we decided to go for a walk along the beach." Joey paused "We walked as far as Beach view road"

Charlie tensed.

"We were actually sat on the bench outside Jason's house, watching as your father and DS entered the house, we had a good view of everything, particularly when we saw you running away from the house" Joey said coldly.

Charlie swallowed. "Joey..."

"And then I ran off, crying because I realised that you had lied to me, and I bumped into Leah and she thought I was crying because she thought I found out that you had slept with Grant" Joey laughed. "That's actually the reason I spent most of last night crying. Finding out that my girlfriend, who I love and who I thought loved me had been fucking around on me and had been lying to me the whole time"

"I'm so sorry Joey" Charlie wiped her eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you"

"I deserve better than this" Joey whispered as she looked out at the water.

"Give me another chance" Charlie said as she grabbed Joey's hand

Joey shook her head.

"I can change" Charlie got up on her knees and kneeled in front of Joey.

"You will never change Charlie"

"I can Joey, please" Charlie grabbed Joey's hands. "You and I are meant to be forever"

Joey bit her lip and closed her eyes, lowering her head.

"I promise I will be a better person, that I will never, ever hurt you again"

"Your promises mean nothing to me Charlie" Joey said as she pulled her hands from Charlie's grip and stood up.

"I'm so sorry Joey, please don't do this. We can make things right" Charlie said standing up.

"Just stay away from me Charlie, we're over" Joey said as she walked off down the beach.

"Joey we can't be over" Charlie ran up and spun Joey around. "We can't be"

"We are" Joey said as tears ran down her face, she turned to walk away.

"I won't accept that" Charlie cried and grabbed hold of Joey's arm. "I've never felt as happy as I do when I'm around you Joey. You're the person I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with"

"Charlie, you're hurting my arm!" Joey cried.

"I'll tell Dad that we're together. I'll tell everyone, I won't let anyone get in the way of us, I won't let what people think or say stop us from being together. I'll do anything for you" Charlie cried harder. "I know what I did was stupid, but we can move past it, we're strong enough to make it happen" Charlie pleaded.

"We're not Charlie" Joey pulled Charlie's fingers off her arm. "I don't want anything to do with you" Joey pushed Charlie backwards and ran off.

Charlie collapsed down on the sand. "I can't live without you" Charlie broke down crying and watched as her now ex-girlfriend ran out of sight.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you for your congratulations on me passing the test! Was absolutely thrilled when I got my results! :]**

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**Thanking you for the reviews, the last chaper was a bit, 'emotional' (I guess you can call it that) to write. **

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**Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to answer the question at the bottom! **

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**MissToastie**

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**Chapter Sixteen :**

_What have I got to do to make you love me? _

_What have I got to do to make you care?_

_What do I do when lightning strikes me, and I wake to find that you're not there?_

_What do I do to make you want me?_

_What have I got to do to be heard?_

_What do I say when it's all over, and sorry seems to be the hardest word?_

_It's sad, so sad. It's a sad, sad situation._

_And it's getting more and more absurd._

_It's sad, so sad. Why can't we talk it over? _

_Oh, it seems to me, that sorry seems to be the hardest word. _

It was seven-thirty Monday morning and Charlie was still lying in her bed with no motivation to get up and face the day. Her night had been spent on her bathroom tiles with a razor in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in the other. She didn't know what had come over her when she arrived home, ignoring her father yelling at her, she had ran straight to her room, locked the door, blasted her music, found the bottle of booze that was hid in a suitcase at the top of her wardrobe, then locked herself in her bathroom. She had sat on the floor crying the hardest she had ever cried, her life felt empty, she felt like she had no one, she no longer had a girlfriend, her dad was disappointed in her, to say the least, and she knew that she would have disappointed Leah and Rachel and knew that she wouldn't be able to face them and she could hardly call Belle and Hayley friends, they were the two people who had lead her astray; though she couldn't completely blame them, _she_ allowed herself to be lead off into the world of bitchyness, bullying, drugs and wild parties, _she _didn't have the guts, the strength, the courage to stand up to the girls and say no and stand up for what she really wanted, instead she just let them control her life, they said "jump" and Charlie immediately responded with "how high?".

Charlie pushed the blankets off of her and swung around in the bed, her eyes automatically falling to the cuts on her legs, they were red and several had dry blood remaining on them, they stung and they burned. She bit her bottom lip and struggled to the bathroom for her morning shower, walking in she noticed blood and the empty bottle laying on the floor, the razor was on the edge of the bath tub, Charlie walked over, picked the razor up and placed it in a box that sat next to the sink. She grabbed a towel from the basket, dampened it and began to clean the floor; the last thing she wanted was for her father to go into her bathroom and see the mess she had left.

After she had finished cleaning, she walked over to her shower, turned the water on, got undressed and hopped inside, allowing the warm water to cascade down her body, cringing each time her legs began to sting more. She wished she didn't have to go to school today as today would be the perfect day to be curled up in bed, sleeping and watching TV, but she knew she had to go as her history assignment was due in today, and even though she had let Joey down the past few days, she wasn't going to do it again today.

---

"How long have you been up for?" Aden asked as he fixed his school tie and sat at the kitchen table.

"Since Saturday morning" Joey mumbled as she typed away on her laptop.

"You still haven't slept? Joey that's not good, you need sleep"

"Mmm" Joey smiled. "Finished!"

"What?" Aden looked at her screen. "Is that yours and Charlie's assignment?"

"Yeah. I thought I had better finish it, I'm not missing out on grades for anyone" Joey pressed print. "When the pages come out can you please staple them for me? I'm going to shower"

Aden nodded and waited at the printer as Joey went to shower.

---

Charlie arrived at school just before nine am; she was thankful her school dress was long enough to hide the cuts from last night.

"Good morning Charlie" Hayley grinned.

"Morning' guys" Noah beamed at Joey and Aden.

Charlie turned to look at Joey.

"Morning I'm going to go wait near the History room" Joey said and walked off.

Charlie closed her eyes and placed her books in her locker.

"Okay clearly we've missed something" Hayley said to her boyfriend.

"Just the usual sluts and druggies type of thing" Aden said as he glared at Charlie.

---

Joey stopped in front of her history class room, surprised to see someone else waiting by the door.

Belle Taylor held her History book tightly to her chest and looked at the ground. She looked so broken.

The nine am bell rang and Belle and Joey entered the class room.

Joey walked to her usual back seat and Belle sat at the front of the class room on the right side.

Aden, Noah and Hayley entered the room with Charlie following behind them.

"I'll get you guys to just stay standing for a moment please" Sally said as she entered the class room.

A few minutes later the rest of the class had joined them.

"Right, as you all may remember that today is the day that your assignments were due in" Sally paused as her students moaned and groaned. "Meaning that speech's will be spoken today, it's a double lesson which means that you will all be able to get four's done today" Sally paused yet again to hear the mumbling and groaning from the students. "I'm glad you're all looking forward to it. Now please take a seat next to your partners and we will begin at random"

Hugo walked over and sat down next to Belle, Leah and Rachel took a seat in the middle of the classroom, Hayley and Kane sat up the back of the classroom with Noah and Aden sitting in front of them. Charlie walked to the back of the class room and sat down next to Joey.

"Hi" Charlie said softly.

Joey stood up and moved her chair out so she was further away from Charlie and ignored her.

"Right, we'll start off with Leah and Rachel" Sally smiled.

Forty five minutes later and it was down to the last pair to give their speech.

"And last but not least, I believe we have Charlie and Joey" Sally said looking up at the two.

Charlie and Joey both made their way to the front of the classroom, Joey handed Sally two copies of their assignments and then handed Charlie a copy of their Oral speech with her parts highlighted in pink.

"The Gothic War was a war fought in Italy and the adjoining regions of Dalmatia, Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica from 535 until 554 between the forces of the Eastern Roman Empire and the forces of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy..."

Several moments later the speech was finished and the bell had rang.

"Can I please see Charlie and Joey before you go" Sally said stopping the girls in their tracks. She waited until the rest of the class exited the room before she closed the door.

"Great work with your speech guys, it was really interesting. I can tell you both put in a lot of effort with this assignment" Sally said as she leaned back on her desk.

"Thanks" Joey said.

"But, the way you both delivered your speech...It was, expressionless, you both read it coldly, you both looked blank" Sally looked between the girls "I thought you two were getting along well"

"Things change"

"What, over a weekend?" Sally said looking at Joey

"Really Miss, it's none of your business. It's between Charlie and I" Joey said before exiting the classroom.

Charlie sighed.

"Are you okay?" Sally asked.

"No, I'm far from okay." Charlie replied. "But I'll get through it. I have no other choice than to get through it"

---

**Seven weeks later. **

Things had changed for everyone at school. A new group had been formed between Leah, Rachel, Hayley and Joey. Hayley had apologised to everyone, especially Joey and Aden for the way she had treated them; Joey took a while to come around to her as the last time someone from the "bitch squad" apologised, they hurt her more than she had ever been hurt, but seeing that Hayley had changed for real made Joey come around. Aden had made good friends with Noah, Kane and Hugo and spent most days hanging around with them, though none of them could ever replace his friendship with Joey. They were as strong as ever.

Belle had asked Alf to put her in Rehab as she felt it was the best place for her. She didn't want to hurt Alf anymore, he was pretty much a father figure to her and the fact that Duncan was nearing an impressionable age, she didn't want him to be around her whilst she was taking drugs and forever drinking alcohol.

And Charlie Buckton, once one of the popular kids at school, now spent her days alone and her nights curled up in bed with a bottle of beer or four to keep her company, her cutting had become frequent and had gone unnoticed by those around her.

---

Charlie's head was in the bowl of toilet for the forth morning in a row. She felt like she had been run over by a Mack truck. She dragged herself to the shower; knowing that she couldn't stay home from school again as yesterday her father had ripped it up her for faking sick to get out of school as after 10 am she was fine and not feeling that sick at all. She walked down stairs to find a note on the table.

**"Have a good day at school Charlie. I will be home tonight. Dad"**

Charlie sighed and left the house, things between her and her dad hadn't been the same since their last talk.

---

"Where's Charlie?" Sally asked her class as their lesson started.

"Haven't seen her in days" Leah piped up. "I hope she's okay"

"Yes, me too" Sally paused to think before she started the lesson.

---

It was just after 5pm when Charlie arrived home. Her father was standing in the kitchen.

"Where have you been? I got a phone call from the school saying you hadn't turned up today!" Ross fumed.

"I'm sorry Dad, I had something to do" Charlie said frowning.

"More important than school? Charlie I will not have you slipping up" Ross yelled at his seventeen year old daughter.

"I'm pregnant" Charlie said softly as she looked at her father.

"You're what?" Ross asked his daughter to repeat what she had just said.

"I'm having a baby" Charlie paused. "I'm almost seven weeks along"

---

Joey and Aden sat playing their Nintendo 64 when they heard a knock at the door.

"Can we come in?" Leah asked.

"We've brought cookies" Rachel grinned.

"Wow, that's like the secret code. You are granted access" Aden smiled and watched as his friends entered the house.

"What are we playing?" Leah asked as she sat down next to Joey.

"Crash Bandicoot" Joey grinned and watched as Rachel opened the cookies for everyone to eat.

---

Charlie sat on her bed, her bags were packed, she felt numb.

"Kathleen is expecting us by morning" Ross said as he walked in and grabbed his daughter's bag.

"Please don't do this Dad"

"I told you Charlie, one more stuff up and you'll be staying with Kathleen." Ross said as he walked down the stairs. Charlie followed after him. "I'm surprised you're still pregnant after the amount of alcohol you've consumed over the last few weeks"

Charlie caught up to him and watched as he put her bags in the boot of the car. "You know I've been drinking?"

"Do you think I'm stupid Charlie? Do you think I can't hear the empty bottles falling into the bin when you take them out each night?" Ross said looking angry.

Charlie lowered her head.

"You can sit in the back, I don't want to see your face right now" Ross hopped in the drivers side of the car and started the engine.

Charlie nodded and hopped in the back of the car. Placing her headphones on her head and playing her Discman, she looked out her window and watched the outside world pass by as her father and her headed to the city. She wiped away a few tears as she listened to the music playing.

_If it's okay, I'll leave the bed light on and place your water glass where it belongs. And if it's alright, I'll lie awake at night, pretending I am curled up at your side_

_See I'm circling in these patterns, living out of memories. I'm still a long way from accepting it, that there's just no you and me_

_But if I still believe you love me, maybe I'll survive. So I tell myself you're coming home like you've done a million times_

_And if it's alright I'll still be loving you, 'cause I can't break it to my heart._

---

Friday morning at school was buzzing, everyone was gossiping about Charlie Buckton.

"Have you guys heard about Charlie Buckton?" A student from year twelve said as she ran up to the newly formed boys and girls gangs that stood near their lockers.

"No? Is she okay?" Leah asked, she was worried.

"Her daddy packed her bags and moved her to the city last night after he found out that she's seven weeks pregnant. She's keeping the baby and she has to live with her older sister as her dad doesn't want anything to do with her anymore" The girl grinned, happy to be spreading gossip. She watched as the faces of everyone in front of her fell.

"Well" Joey cleared her throat and shut her locker. "I guess that's what happens when you get caught in the crowd".

**The End! **

**I know that most of you probably didn't think this story would be coming to an end yet, but I don't feel this story can have a happy ending between the two girls, which was my plan from the start. **

**Now, I do have an idea in mind, which is to start a new story and have it set **_**sixteen years **_**down the track, I have plans for all the characters (mainly Joey and Charlie of course), so, the question I wanted to ask you is ;**

**Would you like me to start to write the story I have in mind?**

**Yes or No =) **

**If you don't normally review but you have an answer to my question, I'm guessing you're going to have to review...otherwise you might not get what you want?**

**I do accept annonymous reviews ;). **


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